The filthy laptop screen: an ideal ice breaker
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 9:52AM 
Is there anything more embarrassing than whipping out your laptop in a meeting only to discover that the screen is filthy, with half your lunch on it? And it’s so unfair because it always seems perfectly clean in your own office before you leave, but somehow – maybe it’s the different lighting or something – when you open it in a client’s office every smear and crumb becomes painfully visible.
As if meetings aren’t exposing enough, the filthy laptop screen jumps in to scupper any chances of retaining a perfectly cool, professional image. Although in a way it can be quite a nice little ice breaker. You can start the meeting or presentation with a little shtick about it. And you might find it relaxes everyone and provokes a “that always happens to me too” response from the other people in the meeting. Which is nice because nobody actually likes that perfectly cool professional person anyway.
Reader Comments (1)
Grubby laptop screens simply aren't acceptable - "hover" your finger, people.
Something you've missed a couple of times is the "laptop hierarchy" from the clunky, government-issue Dells, via the ubiquitous Lenovo Thinkpads up to super-slimline business netbook like the Toshiba R-series. A few times I've have people ask about mine on the train and in meetings - it's one of those "Oh shucks! This little thing?" slightly-chuffed moments.
Not that I use it on the train of course, sometimes I just use it to "mark my spot" on the table and stop personal-space encroachment. You know, so I can use my iPad like a smug b*****d!