It is important to choose a safe, convenient location for your system. Make sure your location provides the following:

A flat, hard surface. Surfaces like carpeted floors and beds attract static electricity, which can erase data on your disks, damage the computer’s circuitry, and prevent proper ventilation.

Good air circulation. Leave several inches of space around the computer so air can move freely.

Moderate environmental conditions. Select a cool, dry area and protect your computer from extremes in temperature, humidity, dust, and smoke. Avoid direct sunlight or any other source of heat.

No electromagnetic interference. Do not place your system too close to any electrical device, such as a telephone, that generates an electromagnetic field.

Appropriate power sources. Connect all your equipment to the appropriate power source. See “Power Source Requirements” in Appendix D for more information.

Remove the protector card. If you have a 5¼-inch diskette drive, be sure to remove the protector card from the diskette slot. This card is inserted at the factory to protect the read/write heads in the drive.

1-2 Setting Up Your System