Special Bali PC problems - bugs, heat, humidly, and electrical
fluctuations
Of course we’ve all heard about ‘bugs’
in our computers. But here in Bali we can have BUGS
in our computers. Minimum measures include keeping your
computer in a place with lots of air circulation – this
discourages bugs and keeps your computer cool. Keep
it dusted often and cobweb free – but don’t just
push the dust off to the rear of the computer, as this can
cause a build-up of dust and dirt behind the computer where
it can be sucked into the computer insides; no, instead use
a damp cloth and wipe off the top and sides of the computer.
(Last column listed a great link with instructions for cleaning
your entire computer: http://store.learn2.com/basket/compaq/clean_comp.asp).
For heat, which can wreak havoc with your computer –
again, keep it in a place with lots of air circulation and
out of direct sun light. You might also install an extra
fan inside the case. If you don’t feel comfortable
doing this (it’s pretty easy) then take it into your
local computer repair place (see previous BaliPCAdvisor columns)
where they’ll do it for you. You might also go to: http://mbm.livewiredev.com/
and download a nifty little FREE piece of software called
MBM (Mother Board Monitor). It displays several temperatures
in your computer (like the CPU temperature) and can alert
you if any temperature gets too high (Click on “About
MBM” to see if your CPU is listed).
For Humidity – not to much we can do about that here
in Bali. The best solution is to have an air conditioned
room for your computer, but this isn’t always possible
or affordable.
For Electrical Fluctuations – VERY important.
You MUST have some type of voltage regulator. I use
a voltage regulator from Makro that was about 300,000 and
worth it. It acts a protector of your electrical components
in case of electrical surges (like whenever the electricity
goes off and then comes back on). Get one for each of
your expensive pieces of electronics. (I have one for
my computer and one for my stereo and TV). Another step
is to add a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) to your system.
It’s basically a battery! It’s really great
(you don’t need one if you use a laptop as it has its
own battery backup). Mine was about 3,000,000 and is
from ICA. It has an additional voltage regulator and allows
me about 15 minutes of power when the electricity goes off.
That’s more than enough time to finish what I’m
doing, save it, and shut my computer down.
(If you have any hints that you use, please send them to me)
Favorite LINK: http://search.bbb.org/search.html a link
to the Better Business Bureaus. Use this link to look
a company in the United States and see if they have any complaints
lodged against them by other consumers.
Q: Can you tell me of any service providers that can supply
data at 128 bps via satellite or cable? Tony
A: I’ll be covering service providers next issue.
For Internet Cafes, you didn’t state where you are staying,
so I can only answer for the Ubud area. There is a place
on Jl. Raya Ubud in the center of town called @Highway.
They advertise in the BaliAdvertiser but their phone is (0361)
972107. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
and have a very fast (at least 128kBs) connection to the internet.
They also have all kinds of services such as burning CDs;
copying CDs and DVDs; color printing and more. Then
even have a Mac or two.
