Always pick your laptop open in the middle (PSA)

[HeathcliffMontague]

At least somewhat related to SL

Never open it on the sides. Never just carry it by the screen. If it sounds like it might crack, never power it open. The hinges will suffer.

And, as stated, they are designed to the opened in the middle, never from the side. It's back to desktop and Intel for me for a while, Ryzen shine all to everyone else. 

[Luna Bliss]

Thanks.  I'm usually on a desktop but my laptop is a good one and I've used it as a backup...often I open it on the sides...  

[gwynchisholm]

I don’t have this problem because my laptop isn’t made of rice paper and glue.

[HeathcliffMontague]

10 hours ago, gwynchisholm said:

I don’t have this problem because my laptop isn’t made of rice paper and glue.

Neither is my Lenovo Ideapad Gaming. The handles will crack sooner or later.

[Love Zhaoying]

Laptops / Notebooks can be moved?

* glances at gaming notebook sitting safely in its spot *

* glances at work notebook sitting safely in its spot *

 

Edited April 25 by Love Zhaoying

[gwynchisholm]

2 hours ago, HeathcliffMontague said:

Neither is my Lenovo Ideapad Gaming. The handles will crack sooner or later.

“Lenovo ideapad” yeah, rice paper and glue

see my lenovo is an x1 nano, it’s made of carbon fiber, I can pick it up however I want without running the risk of breaking it, because it’s not made of rice paper and glue 

I get the statement being made, but it’s more just like, don’t buy ewaste products from the start, you don’t need to treat your hardware like it’s super fragile if you buy stuff made to last, and low tier consumer laptops are not made to last

 

[Love Zhaoying]

34 minutes ago, gwynchisholm said:

I get the statement being made, but it’s more just like, don’t buy ewaste products from the start, you don’t need to treat your hardware like it’s super fragile if you buy stuff made to last, and low tier consumer laptops are not made to last

This makes sense, however doesn't it also make sense to not pick it up or carry it from the "lid/screen", etc.?

Some of the OP's advice sounds like.."common sense".  Like, "don't drop it" (for example, not in his list I guess).

[Dorientje Woller]

3 hours ago, HeathcliffMontague said:

Neither is my Lenovo Ideapad Gaming. The handles will crack sooner or later.

To be blunt ... buying, selling, purchase have all the same legal meaning where I live: it's an exchange of ownership by means of a payment. From that point nobody else then the owner itself has any right to say how to use his/hers property unless stated otherwise in a printed (not a referal to a website), in one of our official languages (preferable in the official language of the region) for warranty reasons.

[Love Zhaoying]

14 hours ago, HeathcliffMontague said:

And, as stated, they are designed to the opened in the middle, never from the side.

This part does surprise me a little. I mean, if you open it "carefully" then opening it from the side should be "safe".

[Bree Giffen]

I always open my notebook from the top center of the screen. It always feels a little bendy when I try lifting from the corner. I had a carbon fiber notebook at work a few years ago and it felt a lot less bendy. It was light and felt safe to open from any position. 

Another tip is to not drop your bag to the ground if you have a laptop in it. I put a nice dent into the corner of a notebook that way. Still worked though.

[Ceka Cianci]

I don't think I have ever opened a laptop before.  But I did have a flip phone at one time.

[Love Zhaoying]

Just now, Ceka Cianci said:

I don't think I have ever opened a laptop before.  But I did have a flip phone at one time.

Yeah, mine stays open (my laptop / notebook).

[Ceka Cianci]

13 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Yeah, mine stays open (my laptop / notebook).

I think the closest I ever came to a laptop was an Ipad.

I was looking at them a few years ago, but they were way over priced then and still couldn't come close to the power of my desk top..

[Love Zhaoying]

15 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I think the closest I ever came to a laptop was an Ipad.

I was looking at them a few years ago, but they were way over priced then and still couldn't come close to the power of my desk top..

My last computer was a desktop, 10+ years old. Runs fine, just far from optimal.

[Dorientje Woller]

@Rowan Amore Seems you don't get it: Where I live, we have 2 years warranty on all electronic devices and for that period the burden of proof of the default is on the manufacturor, not the end user. In other words, if the hinces of my laptop break off because I open it from the sides instead of the middle, that is their fault because they should have taken it in account that there are different ways to open a laptop. If they wished that I opened the laptop always from the middle, they should have mentioned that in the manual. Failing to mention that in the manual, grants automatically the warranty to the end user. I know, our warranty laws are pretty strict, but they protect the consumers. 

[Carolyn Zapedzki]

I always open from the middle, never really thought about it though tbh, just feels natural to open from the middle.

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

9 hours ago, Ceka Cianci said:

I don't think I have ever opened a laptop before.  But I did have a flip phone at one time.

I still have my flip phone.  So when the Lab opens up the app for mobile after all the testing --- it will still not run on the flipper! 😂🤣

[Rowan Amore]

2 hours ago, Dorientje Woller said:

@Rowan Amore Seems you don't get it: Where I live, we have 2 years warranty on all electronic devices and for that period the burden of proof of the default is on the manufacturor, not the end user. In other words, if the hinces of my laptop break off because I open it from the sides instead of the middle, that is their fault because they should have taken it in account that there are different ways to open a laptop. If they wished that I opened the laptop always from the middle, they should have mentioned that in the manual. Failing to mention that in the manual, grants automatically the warranty to the end user. I know, our warranty laws are pretty strict, but they protect the consumers. 

Since we don't all live where you live, the "blunt" answer I gave my WTF reaction to just seemed kind of pointless.  However, if it's in the EU, your own mishandling (and opening your laptop incorrectly may fall under that) isn't covered.  A lot of people don't even read a laptop manual.  Mine didn't even come with one.  

The EU consumer guarantee (and also the manufacturer's warranty) isn’t some get out of jail free card for any broken device. If you drop your phone in the toilet, spill a coffee on your laptop, or otherwise damage your device through your own neglect or stupidity, you’re on the hook for any and all repairs. 

 

[Ceka Cianci]

1 hour ago, Kimmi Zehetbauer said:

I still have my flip phone.  So when the Lab opens up the app for mobile after all the testing --- it will still not run on the flipper! 😂🤣

I won't be using it myself.. My phone probably couldn't run it anyways.. Even if it could, I can't see a reason I would really.. SL is for my free time, not when I'm out and about or doing anything else.. hehehe

[AmeliaJ08]

On 4/25/2024 at 12:24 PM, HeathcliffMontague said:

Neither is my Lenovo Ideapad Gaming. The handles will crack sooner or later.

It's a plastic laptop, it *will* crack.

Had enough of them over the years to know, it's aluminium bodied laptops or nothing now.

 

[Love Zhaoying]

Re-reading the title, I assume the laptop was not "locked shut", and the OP wasn't trying to "pick it open" by "picking the lock"..

ETA: The OP clarified to me in a message.

Edited April 26 by Love Zhaoying

[Rowan Amore]

56 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Re-reading the title, I assume the laptop was not "locked shut", and the OP wasn't trying to "pick it open" by "picking the lock"..

When I recently had my laptop in the shop, the owner mentioned that a large portion of his business is repairing hinges on laptops.   He made the same comment as the OP.  Use 2 hands, one holding the base in the center and the other opening the top from the center.  Just like most anything made, things are pretty much designed to fail.   Why is it that there are still refrigerators from the 60s working while we've had to buy 2 in less than 20 years? 

[Love Zhaoying]

7 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

Why is it that there are still refrigerators from the 60s working while we've had to buy 2 in less than 20 years? 

I've followed one particular refrigerator "restorer" on TikTok, who also showed that not only are the really old models "indestructible" (still work with minor repairs), that are MORE efficient (cheaper to run) than new models. I find this confusing, and figure it must be due to using bigger (more expensive) compressors, better (heavier) insulation/shielding, etc.  If I find and dig into their page, I'm sure I will find the answers. 

Anyway, I thought about getting a vintage model a few years ago and bought 3 "dorm" models instead - fridge, freezer, and a second smaller fridge *for "meats" for the dogs). I  trashed my "new fridge" so make space in my kitchen.  They run quietly at the opposite end of the house, so I no longer hear kitchen fridge noises from my bedroom.

 

[AmeliaJ08]

15 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

When I recently had my laptop in the shop, the owner mentioned that a large portion of his business is repairing hinges on laptops.   He made the same comment as the OP.  Use 2 hands, one holding the base in the center and the other opening the top from the center.  Just like most anything made, things are pretty much designed to fail.   Why is it that there are still refrigerators from the 60s working while we've had to buy 2 in less than 20 years? 

Yep, hinges and blown input mosfets/diodes are 99% of laptop repair. Sometimes people completely fry them by not replacing their power adapters soon enough when they get frayed and then shooting 19v up a sense pin too.

Everything else usually just works, very rare to see failures outside of these.

 

[Arielle Popstar]

2 minutes ago, AmeliaJ08 said:

Yep, hinges and blown input mosfets/diodes are 99% of laptop repair. Sometimes people completely fry them by not replacing their power adapters soon enough when they get frayed and then shooting 19v up a sense pin too.

Everything else usually just works, very rare to see failures outside of these.

 

And forgotten login passwords.