Microsoft’s boards are flooded with complaints about the issue.

There is a little utility that was coded for older versions of Windows and works perfectly for Windows 7 too. It sits in the Windows system tray and automatically locks the point while you’re typing. I was a bit skeptical, but in my testing it has been flawless. Download it from Google.

And that’s why we’re pleading to you now: back your stuff up now.

If you don’t have a backup system in place, we have some tips on how to do it on the cheap. The first thing is to figure how much room you need and exactly where you data is. If you’re not sure, you may want to consider buying a good-sized external hard drive that will backup your entire system.

Mac users can use Time Machine for easy data retrieval (as long as you’ve got a newer OS and you’ve purchased a Time Capsule from Apple…or at least initialized an external hard drive). Windows offers many options for the average user, but the built-in backup utility is antiquated. Here are some quick and easy solutions.

Backup Everything
Buy a big USB hard-drive and use the software that it comes with backup everything you have. I just checked with Staples and found a large Maxtor for $120. Using the included software is fairly easy and most users would have plenty of room to spare. Pretty easy, but not cheap.

Backup Online
You pick what you want to backup and let the software handle the rest. This is a safe option since everything is encrypted as it is uploaded, but it’s pretty slow even with a great broadband connection. It may take days to upload your files and getting them all downloaded in case of a system failure will take a long time too (it’s normally quicker to download than upload). For home users, Carbonite and Mozy are our favorites. For business, we like MozyPro despite the higher cost per GB.

Other Options
DVDs and other options have significant drawbacks in capacity, but if you have a small number of critical documents and little in the way of multimedia files, you can use an external USB flash drive or CDs/DVDs to backup. The flash drive option is more simplistic and faster, but you’ll likely want at least a 16GB USB flash drive. On the flash drive side, Kingston has never let us down.

Problem is, you need to have an AT&T account to actually get one. You cannot just walk into a store and purchase one. You’ll still need to pay the deposit and the first month’s service before you can jailbreak it and head over to someone like T-Mobile.

This means that users looking for a true prepaid iPhone aren’t there yet.

The Asus Eee PC was one of the first successful “netbook” computers when it was released in 2007. Since then, Acer, Dell and HP have caught up and brought a greater visibility to affordable, tiny computers that are designed almost solely for the internet and email user.

What makes a netbook? Generally, a sub-11″ LCD panel, a very small form-factor, an entry-level operating system and a bent toward Internet usage. The downsides are limited expansion, lower-resolution displays, poor keyboards and reduced performance.

Mostly, they come with a Linux flavor or Windows XP Home. On a solid-state hard drives, the smaller amount of storage is a worthwhile trade-off for snappy drive speed. Keep in mind that Windows XP eats up a good portion of these drives. Larger, traditional hard drive models may seem tempting, but it takes more than storage to offer the user a laptop-like experience.

For users who need a tiny machine they can drag to the coffee shop, a netbook may make sense if you can cope with its shortcomings. Business users have been tempted by these machines, however unless you’re running a terminal server or Citrix, you will find that most corporate apps need more technical chutzpah.

Check out CNET’s current favorites if you’re looking. Otherwise, it might be useful to note that Windows 7 is planning a netbook edition…a dumbed down one, of course.

Warning: sailor talk may make this unsuitable for sensitive ears.

Few actually thought to ask the right question though…is it actually a laptop?

And they should have, because it’s not. Just as mainstream American media latched on to the story, savvier technical publications dug deeper. Turns out it’s a media storage and streaming device that will deliver educational content to students. No keyboard, no display. Which leaves us with either a PR ploy or some awful translation.

Oddly, however, you can buy a Lamborghini laptop in India. It has a keyboard.