In our previous sections, we went over adding memory, changing a hard drive, and software upgrades to your netbook. The final step to improving and maintaining the performance of your netbook is to keep it running new and fresh. You do this by periodically updating the firmware, drivers, and software of the computer as we discussed but also by keeping the laptop clean, physically and virtually.
It is important to routinely clean the computer by making sure the vents and fans in the computer are clear and spinning effortlessly. Because of the small form factor, it is important to keep the computer cool. This can go a long way to reducing the temperature of the computer to improve battery life, performance, and the life of the computer. Using compressed air, you can blow into each vent to chase out the dust bunnies that have collected over time in your computer. Removing the dust will lower the temperature, silence your computer, and allow it to not work so hard to cool the hardware. Other tips to keep the computer cool is to not work in direct sunlight and keep the netbook on a firm surface like a table, as opposed to your lap.
When possible always plug your netbook in to work in the most optimal conditions. Many times it will enable your CPU to run at its optimal speed, the LCD/LED display will be brighter, and you will preserve your battery.
Virtually speaking, it is equally important to keep the hard drive clean and virus free. Steps that should be taken include periodically defragmenting the hard drive (do not attempt to do this with a SSD as this will decrease the life of the drive), running a virus scan, and clearing your temporary files to free up space.
