Lap top computer in your truck.

[Ric]

Question


Do any of you have a lap top computer in your truck and make entries as the work happens??? can you also print an invoice right there and then on the job.

What are the problem it doing this other than Backing it up on a daily bases??

[LwnmwrMan22]

Ric -

I used to run a laptop, with a portable color printer.

Ran an inverter right out of the cigarette lighter.

I could print invoices, estimates, checks for gas, parts, etc., right on the spot.

I basically had no paperwork when I got home at night, other than entering in receipts.

The 2 reasons that I stopped doing it, was....

1. I was always nervous that someone was going to "borrow" it and not return it.

2. The other problem was, even when I put it under the seat, sometimes on the real hot days, especially if it's dusty when we were out mowing and had to keep the windows up, it would get so dang blasted hot in the truck.

Other than that, it worked great.

Now I just do all my paperwork at home at the beginning of each month.

[Ric]

22

In my small town and the fact I am planning on only working part time in Fert & Squirt, I am not worried about someone borrowing the Lap top. Maybe I have just lucky never to of had a problem that way. I do see and advantage in having it lock up in some way. But I will make sure I back it up at the end of each day. I know there is a UBS port thing that fits on your key ring.

I was more concerned along the lines of dropping it or some other Mechanical problem. I recently lost both a power supply and Hard drive about two months apart and blame it on a bad electric outlet.

Thanks for the quick answer. I am Glad you found it to work for you. Paper work is something I must push myself to do and feel a lap top would allow me to it as it happened. I don't think a Lap Top would have worked in my former business with many employees. But I am now semi retired and only doing a one man band part time Fert & Squirt. I am in fact looking for all the easy way to do things any more.

[mosmgras]

I use some pre-printed forms to note date/time of service (for weekly accounts) and any notes as necessary. At night, I enter the information from these forms into my billing software and keep the forms as a paper back-up. I thought about the lap-top in my truck thing but had the concerns of theft and damage.

[topsites]

I checked into it but ever since the day I ran over my backpack blower with the trailer (it's funny but don't laugh TOO hard), I've always wondered about the safety of a laptop, and yes of course, the heat. Certainly it would be cool but there needs to be some type of daily backup - One time is all it takes for all the data to go poof...

Far as someone stealing it, I have as much concern someone might snag my wallet or cellular one day, it appears equipment is higher on the thieves' lists.

The USB port thingy is a cool idea if you run the SAME software on your home pc as your laptop, then as you do things throughout the day, you update your data via USB once you get home.

One thing helped me as a Power-User (8+ hours/day on the pc or thereabouts):
A UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) has helped considerably prolong the life of components on my Pc.... I used to fry one component at least every 6 months (be it a cpu, a motherboard, a stick of ram, the graphics card - whatever just happened to WANT to go phhht)... Ever since I bought the UPS, my hardware appears to last years and nowadays becomes obsolete long before it dies for no apparent reason.
I long suspected power-surges (yes, the small ones) and the 'glitch' which sometimes would re-boot the pc were responsible, and still do. That and it sure is awesome when the power goes out but the computer stays running as if nothing (of course the cablemodem is hooked), so I have a chance to finish up / save and shut down normally (thou I only get maybe 5 minutes at full throttle), and that is very nice.

[Ric]

mosmgras

Thanks for your reply. But let me restate I am not concerned with thief. I am sure I can fine a locking device to keep it secure, or build a simple Plywood box for it. It will be in a Cab Over and there is plenty of room to build a make shift office. I am running this as a one man band.

[mosmgras]

Ric,

I don't see why it couldn't be done. If theft isn't a concern, and you will benefit from having it with you, then I say do it. I have a cab over truck as well. You're right. There is enough room in the cab for some office supplies. Now that I think about it, would be nice to be able to whip out a professional quote or invoice at a moments notice. Hope this helps.

[rodfather]

Ric, if you do a search, I see to remember Ray Kirby from Unionturf having a pretty sweet setup in his pickup truck. It's been a while, but I recall him having a silver/grey truck and trailer and some nice pics of how he set up his puter and screen between the seats.

[mowerman90]

I just added a laptop to my truck. The best thing I ever did. I no longer have sticky notes all over the dash and I can schedule jobs in Outlook to give me reminders of when things need to be done. I have my accounting program on the desktop and the laptop, so when I get home I make 2 clicks to the laptop and the computers connect through my wireless router and sync. Microsoft has a new powertoy called Synctoy that works great for this purpose and it's free. I'll try to take some pics of my setup this afternoon and post them.

[brinlee lawn]

It seems like frankenscags had a laptop computer setup in his truck as well.

[nhlakes]

While nothing will stop a planned assault on your laptop, quality laptop cable locks are cheap, effective, and will protect you from someone just walking buy and grabbing it. You could secure one end of the cable to a seat mount and still have enough free range to move the laptop around the cab.

Decent laptops are cheap these days. For this application I’d suggest a cheap laptop with long term accidental damage warranty from the manufacturer. You drop it or spill coffee on it, they replace it. Daily backups of your work data to a flash drive is essential, but I’d also suggest a large external usb disk to backup the entire laptop’s drive on a weekly basis. I wouldn’t bother copying the data to a desktop. Lose the desktop and use the laptop. One less system to maintain. If you need a larger screen you can plug in a larger monitor. Most laptops these days allow you to use both the laptop screen and an external monitor at the same time, which is very handy.

Test how fast the laptop restores from hibernate state in the store. In my opinion, how long you have to wait from pressing the power button to entering data would be the primary factor in determining how successfully it’d be used on the job. If you have to wait too long, you won’t do it.

I’ve used nothing by wireless laptops for many years now. Wireless lans used to be expensive and a pain to configure and maintain, but most laptops have integrated wireless these days and routers are literally just given away sometimes.

[ProMo]

I switched to a laptop this year after 2 pda's failed me and it works great. I use excel to track my jobs. push 3 buttons and it enters the date and time in/out.

[stumper1620]

here ya go Ric,
This is one sweet set up. :D
http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=96474&highlight=computer+mounts

[FrankenScagMachines]

I run a 400 Watt dual outlet power inverter screwed to the floor under the seat, hard wired into the truck through an auxillary fuseblock (which the stereo system runs through as well). Then I have a '05 Dell Inspiron 2200 laptop with built in wireless card, DVD player, CD burner drive, etc.. I have a Lexmark something or other color inkjet printer running off of the inverter as well. It sits on the floor over the driveshaft hump, and the computer sits on my flip down center console (great organizational tool as well, thanks Dodge!). Usually the laptop sits on top of the console, but if i'm in a questionable area, i'll just slide it under the console and its out of sight, out of mind. It is a great way to keep track of fuel mileage on your truck, mileage numbers for tax deductions (for those who count miles not expenses), print out estimates on the spot, print invoices and receipts on the job, etc. Its very organized and extremely impressive to customers/potential customers. They really take a liking to it and the convenience it adds for both them and me, and it shows that you are very organized and care alot about running things smoothly. I can get wireless internet off of any open connection I come across, and have a program called Network Stumbler that instantly locates all connections you run across and can be set to make alert sounds so you can drive without constantly looking at the computer screen. Also have Microsoft Streets and Trips software with GPS sensor, which is awesome for finding someone's address for an estimate or what have you, and also is really nice to do routing on.. I have Verizon phone service and am ordering a cord to hook computer to phone so you can use your phone to get dial up internet on the laptop. This i won't use except as needed where I can't mooch off of someone's wireless connection, such as in a rural area... But I have enough phone minutes anyway I would be good to go if I used it 10 minutes a day for email or whatever... Your options are unlimited with a laptop... I can download pictures from my digital camera on the spot if that were needed. Just an awesome business tool. Really eliminates 90% of the papers you keep in the truck as well, which is priceless! And you can keep track of where your information is alot easier... I can't say enough good things about this setup honestly. I find the Dell is a very tough unit and has withstood alot of hard use that I wouldn't have expected it to do so well in. I know it gets too hot on a daily basis, and does get alot of dust (leave the lid closed when not using cuts down on most of that). I was going to use a computer mount, but found it would be in my way and not really as versatile as what I do now. The Lexmark printer is a cheap $30 one with a $5 cable, pretty cheap investment. Pretty much pays for itself first time you use it in saved time and fuel running estimates around. Its small, folding/sliding paper trays (keep clean new sheets of paper in a folder so they don't get moist/dirty/bent, etc), this cuts down on dirt that gets into the printer as well (folding it all up) and its cheap enough it doesn't matter if something happens to it. It prints quickly and easily and does a nice job.

I don't mean to go on and on about it, but its truly a great setup and would be a great investment for any business owner. Its a priceless setup... Great business tool and playtoy combo :D

[mowerman90]

Here's my setup. The mount is a "Ram-mount" attached to a nylon cutting board that I got at Wally World. All I have to do to adjust height, angle, etc. is to loosen the large thumbscrew on the mount and reposition and then tighten again.

[mowerman90]

One other thing that no one has mentioned is that anymore, it seems as if almost every neighborhood has a bunch of homes with "unsecured" wireless systems. What does that mean, it means that I can check and send my e-mail from my customers driveway. Another thing is that when it rains you can sit in the truck and watch a DVD while waiting for the rain to stop.

[ThreeWide]

I have the resources to utilize a good laptop setup in my truck.

However after considering the situation, I concluded a couple things that are not in favor. Most of the time, when finishing a fert&squirt application I am generally hot and sweaty. Even in moderate temperatures, I perspire profusely due to the need for long pants most of the time.

Fuel costs are also a problem, and have been for a while. I've been avoiding using the air conditioner as much as possible, so getting the truck in motion as soon as possible is important for airflow.

Somehow the scenario of spending a few extra minutes typing up/printing invoices on site does not make sense. The air conditioner would certainly be needed, which consumes even more fuel. It would be interesting to compare whether it was more expensive to burn fuel versus the cost of postage to mail the invoice. Something I had not considered.

Doing invoices in the office with a comfortable environment and clear mind is probably the best option IMHO.

[Critical Care]

Is it just my truck that gets dirty? My worry is that a laptop in the truck would either fail from the 100+ degree heat built up within the truck during summer days, or else it would fail from getting dirty. I unfortunately work in a dirty environment, and when I get dirty, my truck gets dirty. It seems as if it would only be an amount of time before the laptops keyboard would get a layer of dust or dirt down in the keys. Oh, and of course when computers get dirty they also run hotter.

While on the job, I jot down the client's name, time in and time out, followed by simple notehand abbreviations like: M,WE,E,B,W,Rndp2 This would signify mow, weedeat, edge, blow, weed, and 2 ounces of Roundup used. Then, at home I just insert these figures into my program, and everything including material markup is automatically added to the client's monthly total and running invoice. I could type this into a laptop at the jobsite, but personally I'd rather do this back at home while sitting down with a cold one.

[FrankenScagMachines]

TurfUnlimited, yeah if i were still driving a gas guzzler i'd be worried bout fuel too... get a Cummins and be done with it LOL... I sit in my a/c on the laptop as long as i need to on hot days. The time saved and professional image gained is more than worth it, and the convenience as well... I don't do invoices on every job. But its sure sweet when you need it to have it, estimates are a breeze, one time jobs you can print an invoice right there, save you time mailing, save them time mailing, save the risk of them not mailing payment, all regular customers are on monthly payment, those invoices i make up and print out in my office just cuz its nice to have more room..

As Ed said, and I mentioned earlier, wireless connections abound... they're everywhere. DVD's are nice to watch during rain too, we've done that a few times LOL...

To each his own but I love it :) Also I keep a towel in the truck to wipe sweat with and dirt off of my hands if needed. The computer stays amazingly clean somehow...

[Ric]

Thanks Guys

A lot of good input here and I certainly thank everyone. Each of you has offered some bit of good info.

Let extend the window of my question since I have some great advice coming my way.

1st A Cab Over must be tipped in order to get to the engine. Having the Lap Top fall during this operation is a concern. I am not asking how to secure this from happening, but asking Which Lap Top might be better at with standing the fall in case of a Oops??

2nd I would like to have but a few Programs and feel any Lap Top will have enough power. I am not looking for the biggest ram and hard drive. However it has already been brought that speed of being able to enter from Hibernation is important and that was something I didn't think about. So which Lap Tops are fastest coming out of Hibernation??

3rd Price of Printing is directly related to the price of INK. Which of the small portable printers has the best economy Ink Price??? I have gone to Lazier Fax and Printers because of the lower cost of Ink. However I don't believe Portable Lazier printer would be in my price range at this IF they are available.






One other thing that no one has mentioned is that anymore, it seems as if almost every neighborhood has a bunch of homes with "unsecured" wireless systems. What does that mean, it means that I can check and send my e-mail from my customers driveway. Another thing is that when it rains you can sit in the truck and watch a DVD while waiting for the rain to stop.

Mowerman

Sounds Like shades of Lawrence Stone and his Tin Can home made antenna to rip off free Internet :D But what the heck I can see using it to look up a quick map quest for a new address etc.

[stumper1620]

ok here we go,
critical care, dust is the enemy everywhere, including in the home, I clean my lap top and desk top pc on a regular basis, remove the side covers from the pc, remove the key board from the lap top ( 2 screws) air compressor with a blow gun cleans the dust & dirt right out, be sure to blow the fans out, my lap top plug the fan all the time because of the bottom air draw. pc processor fans plug easily and cause slow running and screen locks, blow out the processor fan & cooling fins regularly.as long as you keep them clean they will serve you for years.

Ric, they do make rubber cover guards for lap tops just like cell phones, check around online for lap top accessories. staples buys empty ink cartridges for 3.00 each, and the reman/refilled cartridges are about 5 bucks cheaper with more ink in them than OEM has.
check out the cable mount/lock best buy uses for display of laptops, using one of those would serve to protect from theft & from falling too far when tipping your cab. (just a thought)


turf unlimited,
proven fact the drag of open windows takes more fuel than A/C in every test performed, Aero dynamics is hampered with a window open.
sitting still in a driveway, yes I agree this is a waste, my A/C performance has no effect until running at a higher speed anyway.

JMO's

[mowerman90]

Hey, it's not like I sit there and surf the net. Nor due I hack into anyones systems. But it is convenient to be able to check e-mails and the weather radar occasionally

[topsites]

Hey, it's not like I sit there and surf the net. Nor due I hack into anyones systems. But it is convenient to be able to check e-mails and the weather radar occasionally

I suppose a satellite-connection to the Internet via the laptop is out of the question because of the dish? ;)

[stumper1620]

Hey, it's not like I sit there and surf the net. Nor due I hack into anyones systems. But it is convenient to be able to check e-mails and the weather radar occasionally
If people leave their network open, I say go for it, map quest, radar, what ever. If it was a concern they would lock the network up. Mine is open, the range will get ya to the garage, driveway or maybe if your lucky it will reach the shoulder of the road. I have no concerns about it, if you were to sit in my drive using my LAN you still have no access to my computers, they are all interlocked. I really don't think you would figure out my encoding to hack it, because I don't even remember the pass words. My only way to set up another would be complete reset and re do the whole process.
Oh ya,
and my Noton would be throwing flags everywhere if you tried.

[Ric]

If people leave their network open, I say go for it, map quest, radar, what ever. If it was a concern they would lock the network up. Mine is open, the range will get ya to the garage, driveway or maybe if your lucky it will reach the shoulder of the road. I have no concerns about it, if you were to sit in my drive using my LAN you still have no access to my computers, they are all interlocked. I really don't think you would figure out my encoding to hack it, because I don't even remember the pass words. My only way to set up another would be complete reset and re do the whole process.


Stumper

I got a buddy that just got his CDL and is driving cross country. Flying J truck stop is only one of the truck stops that has LAN set up for all to use. Larry Stone who no longer comes to LS because he is banned, has some kind of antenna made from a Tin Can that is directional and can increase the distance a great deal. I am not knowledgeable enough to know all the security issues with it. But have a hard wire Router which I am not using at present time.

I think it is Horizon that is now offering broad band Internet from a Cell phone in certain larger cities. As a small town boy it might be a long time before I could get it. At $ 79 a month for broad band cell phone service, I don't believe I am ready for it.

[LwnmwrMan22]

Ric -

It's Verizon, not Horizon. :waving:

Also, I have wireless in my house for the computers, and my mom and dad are hooked into my computer, the distance is 300' from my computer to theirs.

Also, those that are looking for mapquest and radar, I've already got those on the cellphone without a laptop, it's through Verizon.

[mowerman90]

No more Mapquest for me. I do like Frankenskag and have MS Streets and Trips with the GPS attachment. Just punch in the customers address and it will lead you to their door from wherever you are. Maybe not as fancy as some of the 6 - $700 systems I've seen but for around $100 you can't beat it.

[Precision]

Ric,

For your dust, dirt, dropping and water issues. They make laptops specifically for that. I think it is Toshiba that has one that can be used underwater in the ocean. It costs about double the money, but it is completely dust/water proof and is quite good a withstanding shocks. I have seen a commercial where the drop (not swing) an 8# sledge on it while resting on cement.

The military has some as well don't know who makes them but I know you can buy the same ones. Not bullet proof parden the pun, but pretty damn close.

Personally I would go with a cheap Dell, Gateway or the like and plan on replacing once a year. At $600-900 it isn't a big expense so long as you keep you data backed up.

[Ric]

Fellows

Like I said before this has been a learning day for me and thank to all including 22 who corrected my statement about cell phone carriers. I really don't feel I should buy the biggest and best Lap top and with a UBS flash chip, I can very easily back it up each day.

Ed

I have seen GPS work great when we were lost in Miami with a friend that had GPS. I don't think I can justify buying a self contained GPS for my little town, but a $ 100 add on to a Lap Top would be nice. I have an older version of MS Streets and Trips and might be able to down load an update reasonable. I use MS streets and trips for my routes and even saved them and made changes Etc. Great program and if I lived in the city it would be a must have, instead of a extra. But the main thing I will load MS St & Trips for is to use it like a map book to find new accounts.

So Where do I buy a Add on GPS and what to they call it??

[mowerman90]

Ric,

About the only thing that S's&T's with GPS doesn't do is give voice commands. That, and the fact you can't very easily put the laptop up on the dashboard to see it while driving. I'm not sure about the older versions, but I know that all you need for the 2004 version of S's&T's to make it into a GPS version, is to buy the GPS module. Microsoft uses the Pharos model which I've seen on the net for as little as $70

[john_incircuit]

I'm using wireless laptops for years and was responsible for a large IT group in the past. You got a lot of good input here already, laptops came a long way and a reasonable reliable.

-- laptop theft: That is a real issue and only you can judge how likely it is. There are a number of locks available, at the end, they may prevent the laptop from being stolen, but one still can damage the laptop. Also, make sure your insurance covers the laptop.

-- get a laptop with 3 year next day at home support, plus accidental damage. Don’t get a contract where you have the mail in the laptop, turn around time may be 1 or 2 weeks.

-- as one member previously suggested, backup your laptop every day to a USB flash drive. A 1 gig runs around $ 60. Having no backup is like driving around without a seat belt. It will hurt you soon or later.

-- purchase 2 identical laptops, if possible. Once you rely on a laptop, you don’t want to be down.

-- when printing in the car, remember that the printer may need up to 1 minute to “cap” the cartridges. If you turn off your printer by pulling out the power right after it finished a print job, the cartridges will dry out.

-- at least in our part of the country, we have plenty of free hot spots for internet access. Just make sure your laptop is adequately protected (weekly software updates, firewall, attachment protection, viruses and spy ware protection, backups, etc) or it will be fair game in no time.

John

[ArizPestWeed]

http://www.mobiledesk.com/Xtreme.htm

Here's what's in my F 150

[Ric]

Ric,

About the only thing that S's&T's with GPS doesn't do is give voice commands. That, and the fact you can't very easily put the laptop up on the dashboard to see it while driving. I'm not sure about the older versions, but I know that all you need for the 2004 version of S's&T's to make it into a GPS version, is to buy the GPS module. Microsoft uses the Pharos model which I've seen on the net for as little as $70


Voice commands are must if you are in a strange town and alone. My buddy has a self contained GPS with voice command and he can use it in any car. It cost around a thousand and you can down load update off the net.

we got lost in Miami and turned the thing on It took us right to where we need to be and gave all kind of advanced warning before turns. I was impressed considering I still have hay seed behind my ears :D

[Ric]

http://www.mobiledesk.com/Xtreme.htm

Here's what's in my F 150


AirHead

Thanks. That is just what I am looking for. I couldn't build one half as nice for the price.

[Brianslawn]

The USB port thingy is a cool idea if you run the SAME software on your home pc as your laptop, then as you do things throughout the day, you update your data via USB once you get home.



USB??? thats so yesterday!

2.4 GHz 802.11G! laptop never leaves truck. single drag and drop updating in 5 seconds! :cool2:

[ArizPestWeed]

http://www.delorme.com/bluelogger/default.asp

And here's what's in my laptop , my GPS

[TJMowers]

I used to use a palm pilot (with windows operating system) on my last job. You can't print directly from it, but you can relay info back and forth from your computer without having to spend time doing it at night. Also good for contacts and scheduling using outlook.

[Ric]

http://www.delorme.com/bluelogger/default.asp

And here's what's in my laptop , my GPS


Air Head

Like I sad this has been a very educational day for me. I know of a Pest Company that tracks their Techs for both Route and time by GPS. This might be the hardware they are using.

Mower Ed got my interest with cheap GPS on the Lap Top. But my town is so small I really can't see using GPS unless I go on a Trip. Map Quest Might get me there but getting lost in that City is another story. I am a creature of Habit and go to the same places time after time, so getting lost is not a common thing for me. But I know MS St & Trips on a Lap Top would work if I had it along in a strange city. I could have really used a good GPS with voice command in Dallas Tx about two years ago. I was so lost I couldn't find my own Butt:D

[timturf]

Ric,

good thread, found very interesting, since I have also consider the same!
I wouldn't be that concerned about dust and dirt, many computers in rock quarry's, now that's dirt and dust to maximum!

When the leco salesman would call on me at the gc, he came in a semi trailer, and they had a laptop computer with printer set up in trailer. Did quates and billing from their, not in cab. So, if you have a box truck or enclosed trailer, maybe you want computer in their. Just a thought

How's life treating RIC

tim

[Ric]

Ric,

good thread, found very interesting, since I have also consider the same!
I wouldn't be that concerned about dust and dirt, many computers in rock quarry's, now that's dirt and dust to maximum!

When the leco salesman would call on me at the gc, he came in a semi trailer, and they had a laptop computer with printer set up in trailer. Did quates and billing from their, not in cab. So, if you have a box truck or enclosed trailer, maybe you want computer in their. Just a thought

How's life treating RIC

tim

Tim

Life is good. But the way I like Potash and use it, there is no way I could have a computer survive in the enclosed part of my spray truck. You and I are to fertilizer, what a nerd is to computers. We are the ones asking the dum questions here. Some of the things I have learn here are, there is a condom for computers but it doesn't stop the computer from catching transmitted Viruses. ;) I also am learching how In the heat of the truck, My Ink thing might dry up and ever work again. :cry:

[mowerman90]

I don't have a printer in my truck because I bill monthly and don't do one time cuts for anyone. But if I were to use a printer I'd consider using one of the cheap cheap laser printers from Brother or Samsung. I've seen them on the net for less than $100 on sale. With them you wouldn't have to worry about the ink drying up in the heat.

[The Dude]

My two cents.
Not to plug a brand here, but I own 2 panasonic toughbooks. Designed to be dirt proof and spill proof as well as super durable. Mine has a touch screen and the screen flips around to show others. Pretty cool for presentations. They are not cheap, but IMO definately worth it.

another option...

Have you thought of possibly a tablet PC? No keyboard to muck up, everything is touch screen with a stylus. The size of a notbook. Not quite as durable, but they have come a long way over the last few years.

[mowerman90]

Check out this guys setup http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=120128

[Ric]

I don't have a printer in my truck because I bill monthly and don't do one time cuts for anyone. But if I were to use a printer I'd consider using one of the cheap cheap laser printers from Brother or Samsung. I've seen them on the net for less than $100 on sale. With them you wouldn't have to worry about the ink drying up in the heat.


Ed

Yep that link you posted is the real deal but still leaves the Ink Question left to be answered. I am not sure I need the wireless printer but I would like a Wireless roller ball mouse since 90% of the data input would be left click with the programs I am running and the reoccurring invoices.

[ChicagoLawn]

Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 and vehicle mount/docking station for sale:

Please take a look at my e-bay auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Panasonic-Toughbook-CF-18-Like-New-Verizon-Wireless_W0QQitemZ6812389345QQcategoryZ42205QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thank you!

ChicagoLawn

[chipk1]

I have a laptop in my truck with printer. I bought a power inverter and cheap hp printer. Also have wireless router at home so I just upload my quickbooks data file to home PC for back. I put my Laptop under the seat and leave windows cracked. I live in Florida (:angry: )and haven't had any heat related PC problems.