Making Headlines

What leisure time? Studies show that one in five people now pack a laptop when they go on vacation. Small business owners are especially likely to bring computers on vacation, with 75 percent checking in via phone or e-mail at least once per day while on "holiday."

In addition, computer services report that nearly half of small business owners consider downtime a guilty pleasure, forcing nearly one third to check in by phone or e-mail several times a day while on vacation.

"As a small business owner, I bring my computer out of necessity," said Nancy Sartanowicz of Workplace Strategies, LLC in Medford, Mass.

"The last thing I want to deal with on vacation is a computer repair issue. What's worse, small business owners like myself often don't know where to turn to have their computer problems solved, especially when they're away from home on vacation."

Indeed, encountering computer problems during precious leisure time can be even more annoying than usual - if that's possible.

For those looking to actually enjoy their time away from work and not deal with technical problems, our Fort Lauderdale computer repair group offers the following pieces of advice...

-- Take precautions against hackers when accessing wireless networks or "hot spots" on the road. Make sure your anti-virus software is updated, check that you have a firewall installed, and password-protect sensitive information.

-- When you do have downtime, make sure your one of the simplest and most important laptop tips is to make sure your battery doesn't give out. To extend the life of your battery, power down all non-essential functions, such as DVD players and wireless cards.

-- You don't need a Fort Lauderdale computer repair company to tell you this one, but make the best use of your valuable time by focusing on the matters that must be addressed immediately. Prioritizing is the key.

-- To make sure your computer is performing at its best and help avoid problems, give it a tune-up by defragmenting your hard drive, getting spyware or malware out, and deleting any programs you don't use.

Some people take computers on vacation because they actually have more leisure time to surf the 'Net or communicate with friends.

For others, like many small business owners, it's a choice between taking a computer on vacation ... or not having a vacation.

Regardless, the last thing that anyone wants to do is deal with a computer problem while on vacation. These steps from our Broward computer service will help make sure you don't run into trouble.