Tried to work from a beach in Thailand and my laptop overheated in 20 minutes

I was in Koh Lanta two weeks ago, thought I'd be smart and work from a beachside cafe. Direct sun, 90 degrees, and my laptop literally shut down with a temperature warning. Lost an hour of unsaved edits on a project due at 5pm. Ended up running back to my bungalow, draping a cold towel over the keyboard, and finishing the deadline at 4:58. Now I only work indoors with AC. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee.cora1d ago

I keep a little USB fan in my bag now after my laptop fried on a beach in Bali last year... same thing happened, the screen went black and I could smell that weird hot plastic smell. I found that putting it under an umbrella or even a big hat helps a lot, just keeping direct sun off the metal casing. Also, propping it up on a book or something so air can get underneath makes a huge difference. That hot sand and concrete just bakes the bottom of the machine. My biggest tip though is to work early morning or late afternoon when the sun isn't so brutal, the middle of the day is just asking for trouble.

smith.lee5h ago

Haha you'd think I'd learn after killing two laptops in three years but here I am still trying to work from my porch in July. I swear I'm the guy who brings a space heater to the beach, you know? My trick now is I just take the battery out and keep the thing plugged in while sitting under a palm tree like some kind of prehistoric IT setup. Works okay until a crab crawls over the power strip and then it's game over.

laura_wilson1d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back a little on the USB fan thing, @lee.cora. I mean, those tiny fans barely move enough air to cool a cup of coffee, let alone a laptop baking in direct tropical sun. Maybe it's just me but I think the real fix is just not working outdoors in hot climates at all, no amount of propping it up or hats will save you when the humidity is that high.