Laptops not for laps
By Charles Miller

This week updates several past columns. A few months back in this column, I wrote on the subject of uninstalling programs from Microsoft Windows and why it is so difficult to do so. In that earlier column I wrote “Unfortunately, a lot of companies do not even provide a way to uninstall their product. It is as if they are saying if you want to remove their program, the heck with you!”

I received some feedback from a friend who is a computer programmer and took issue with my characterization. She explained to me that there is a perfectly valid reason some software does not provide an easy way to uninstall it from your computer.

Any time a software maker provides a truly correct uninstall program to remove their software from a computer, this also provides an easy-to-follow roadmap for making illegal copies of the software. I knew that already, but not being much of a software pirate, I failed to think of that reason.

Another Atención reader wrote to comment on the column examining the differences between laptop and desktop computers. In that column I wrote that you should always use a laptop computer on your lap and never put it on your desk.

What I was attempting to communicate was that too many people put a laptop computer on a desk and are tempted to leave it running almost 24/7. If they would use the laptop computer in their lap, then they would be more likely to turn it off when they get up.

The reader correctly pointed out that the flat surface of a desk is a better place to use any computer including a laptop because of the ventilation and cooling issues. When you use a laptop on your lap while reclining in your easy chair, be careful not to obstruct the fan. All too many laptop designs put the air intake on the bottom of the case where, when you balance the laptop on your legs, it gets obstructed. The cooling system really is the Achilles heel of any laptop. Using it on a desk or other flat surface is a good idea. Take time also to be sure that there are no papers on the desk that might get sucked up by the fan and obstruct the air path.

And last but not least, here’s an update on an internet governing issue discussed in this column last year.

After due consideration, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) board voted 9-5 against a plan to adopt a new “.xxx” domain for sex-oriented websites. For the last year ICANN had listened to technical and commercial input for and against the new top-level domain. The plan would have created a new .xxx extension, for use by the “adult-themed area of cyberspace.”

It seemed to me and others to be a good idea to create a clearly identifiable area of the internet that could be easily blocked out to prevent access by children. For whatever reason, the idea was not approved and so users will have to continue to rely on other measures to keep their kids safe from porn.

I am sure there is more to this issue than I understand. A decade ago when my favorite Dallas Cowboys played in Super Bowl XXX, there were issues with internet traffic being blocked because of the triple-X Roman numeral. The football game itself was obscene only to Pittsburgh Steeler fans.

In all of these cases, I am reminded to keep an open mind, allowing that there are perspectives I am going to miss.

Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.