Smoking at the computer?

[wilson]

I smoke outside and am often on the computer -- my wireless signal is really good on my front porch.

 

[simnettpratt]

I had to work on a pair of spoiled rotten brothers' college laptops every once in a while - one had holes burned in the case from cigarettes. Like he dropped his cig's cherry on the computer and didn't even care enough to blow it away, just let it burn right through. Why doesn't my computer work? The fact it would break wasn't a surprise, the fact that it ever worked at all was.
Drinks near your keyboard are a greater danger than smokes. As are most college students to a free laptop.

 

[condorlover1]

It all depends on if the computer inhales! :rofl:
That being said if smoking did any damage to computers I would be a 2 Mac a year man. My key board is forever covered in burnt tobacco fragments and ash, coffee and whatever I have coughed over the screen first thing in the morning.

 

[simnettpratt]

Dadgumnitt, condor! That's why if you check the computer bag of any tech out there that works on clients' pcs (not just servers at the data center), I guarantee you'll find a bottle of hand cleanser

 

[papipeguy]

In the garage with, satellite radio, laptop, pipes and cigars. I think the "J" key has some dottle under it but otherwise, no issues except for my wife wondering what I do out here all day and night.

 

[mattsem]

don't sweat it brother, ive been doing all kind of thing behind my laptop including smoking and my current laptop been going for 5 years now

 

[bigjoe]

Computers do "inhale", and the smoke makes the dust that accumulates in them extra sticky so you can end up with quite a bit building up around fans. Most of the time it isn't too much of a problem, but can cause overheating and premature failure.
Usually popping open the case once a year and giving the interior a blast with a can of compressed air keeps things pretty clean, but in smoking environments you might need to go in with a dry cloth or q-tips to break up accumulations. Sometimes things can get really nasty!

 

[phred]

If you're worried about your desktop PC, there are filters that you can place over the intake vent that will filter out dust and particulates (I had them on a couple of cases that I built PCs in a while back, and I've seen them on several other models).
But yeah, unless you're smoking 8-10 hours a day and exhaling directly into the intake, the general household dust that gets in is going to be far worse than the smoke for most of your overheating/moving parts issues.

 

[reniaeats]

As others have said, don't sweat it. We have multiple computers and monitors going in our office and almost always have someone smoking somewhere. Never had an issue with it.

 

[indianafrank]

I don't smoke when I'm on the 'puter. Don't smoke inside either. Anyway, my son fixes my 'puter every time it decides to have a fit. A few weeks ago he was on my 'puter trying to do what ever guys who fix 'puters do and he says.
"Dad. There are crumbs all over your keyboard and beneath the keys. What the heck do you eat when your on the computer?" I told him.
"Potato chips, cookies, cake, pie, salami sandwiches, pizza, pepperoni, and a host of other nutrients."

 

[saltedplug]

I've smoked at the computer for a very long time without incident. But cosmicfolklore's machine that got cancer had me worried about mine. There is in fact a type of IT cancer that can change into specific types as signals travel across the network, infecting machines haphazardly and with deadly consequences. To combat this I regularly treat mine with both radiation and chemo. As you know each human patient's chemo cocktail is tailored for best effect, based on that cancer's characteristics; what you didn't know is that I add raspberry flavoring to my machine's chemical beverage. They say that for every raspberry there is a circuitry that craves it. Maybe a dearth of raspberry is why it took sick in the first place.