Beware of Summer Heat
This time of year can add some destructive elements to your computing environment. Today's Macintosh computers have come a long way in overcoming environmental extremes, but heat and humidity can still have effect on your equipment. Beware of humidity when it comes to your stored paper supply. A high moisture content can cause warping and can sometimes result in annoying paper jams while printing. Micro-processors and spinning drives generate a lot of heat in the best of conditions. When temperatures rise your computer must work harder to cool itself. If you use a PowerBook, it might be a good idea to purchase a laptop pad or some device to lift the it off your desktop or lap to keep things cool. If your laptop has spent a while in a hot car, it's a good idea to give it a cool down period before use too.

Don't Sweat a Keyboard Spill
Most of us like to have a snack or drink at hand when we work or play, and while it's a good idea to put some space between your Mountain Dew and your Macintosh, accidents do happen. If a liquid should slosh on to the keyboard, don't panic. You should be able to shower off the keyboard and allow a day or so to dry before putting it to use again.

Warning: do not try this emergency treatment on your laptop or on any CPU component.

AppleCare: Yes or No?
Everyone who has bought a Macintosh over the last several years has been offered an extended AppleCare Protection option. Ordinarily, I'm the last person to recommend a warranty plan. In fact, I turn down warranty pitches from electronic and appliance salespeople to the point of rudeness. However, when it comes to Applecare, I can confidently recommend Apple's warranty plan to most of my clients.

The AppleCare Protection Plan can be purchased at any time during the one-year period in which your new Macintosh is covered under its standard warranty. An additional two years of coverage can be had for $169 to $349, depending on the type of Mac you own. Protection Plans for iPods are even available for a nominal cost, but the $60 price tag and rarity of warranty issues make the extensions less attractive.

Is AppleCare right for you? IF you own a flat-panel iMac, a PowerBook, or an iBook, I'd say 'yes'. Business owners, whose downtime is money lost, especially benefit from the assurance that repari will be done right and in a timely manner.

I can speak from experience of AppleCare's service. After sending my PowerBook G4 back with an ethernet port issue, Apple had my laptop back to me within two business days and I was back to work.