Noisy Laptop Warning [was ETD Heat Problem]

John W. Peterson johnwp49@bellsouth.net
Thu, 6 Jun 2002 11:51:57 -0400


List,

This issue of ETD heat problems reminds me of a problem I had with a
certain model of laptop pc. I'd like to share this to help others
avoid the problem, and expense.

I used my trusty Sight-O-Tuner for many years. It was finally time to
upgrade. Being a computer-type person with a lot of experience using
Dell products, I decided to try the familiar "Latitude" Cp-series
laptop.

TuneLab Pro worked great.

The Laptop worked great..  ..on battery power.

The Dell "Latitude CP" laptop computers have the capability of using
dual batteries. I couldn't afford the second battery yet, so I got
into the habit of just plugging the laptop into an AC outlet. After
about an hour, when the battery was once again fully charged, the
cooling fan would come on.

Well, I do aural checks, and that litle miniature fan is so noisy that
I couldn't hear properly! At first I thought I was just having a bad
day, but the noise problem persisted at other tuning jobs. It only
happens when the laptop is plugged in, when the battery reaches full
charge.

This is not an isolated problem. I now recall the noisy fans, but the
conditions in a 400,000 square foot manufacturing plant usually masked
the problem! In our profession it is a real problem.

I have since switched to an older model IBM Thinkpad and all is quiet!

Regards,

John Peterson
Raleigh, NC

Peterson Piano Service
pianotuner@bellsouth.net






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