Re: does moisture affect your computer and how it operates?

By moisture, I imagine you mean relative humidity. Computers are somewhat sensitive to RH, but under normal circumstances will operate quite safely. The two dangers lie in RH that is too low, and RH that is too high. When RH is too low and the air is very dry (especially true during cold winter days), it is easy to build up a static charge in your body, which produces the familiar zap when you touch a doorknob or a lightswitch. Many of the components of your system are vulnerable to static discharge. I've fried a disk by zapping it after walking across a carpet in vinyl-soled shoes and picking it up. If you are working inside your computer, you can also zap the electronic components the same way, which is why it is very important to discharge yourself by wearing a static strap when working with motherboard components. High RH may also present a problem. If you bring a computer from a cold environment into a warm humid environment, condensation can build up on components within the computer, which can short-circuit more sensitive components. That's why it's a good idea, if your computer's been out in the cold, to allow it to sit an hour or two before turning it on. That gives the computer time to reach room temperature and for any condensation to evaporate. I don't think we need to discuss using your laptop in the bathtub...