A good mechanic always has parts left over

It is time that I come clean and confess that I steal screws. I don't intend to steal them, but while I am working on a computer, I tend to put the screws in my pockets so that I don't lose them.

When I get home at the end of the day, I always find a computer screw or two. To my defense, I always put the computer completely back together.

I place the blame on the computer manufacturer. Today's computers have way too many screws. Some computers have two thumb screws to hold the side on and two screws in each side of the CD-ROM drive to hold it in place. These screws are in addition to other types of securing mechanisms like clips and grooves.

Laptops need lots of screws because they are portable. A desktop computer never goes anywhere; yet it is secured enough to withstand being dragged from a train. Sure, the hard drive will get shaken to pieces and static will kill the electrical components, but the pieces would still be firmly kept in place.

Today I replaced a CD-ROM drive in a custom built computer. Once I took the side off and the CD-ROM out, I had 10 screws on the table. There were six screws that had to be removed just to get the outer shell off.

The tray that holds the CD-ROM drive also had a locking slider that held the drive in place without any screws, but it still had two screws in each side to hold the locking mechanism in place during a meteor impact.

I put four of the screws back (2 in the shell and 2 to hold the CD-ROM drive in and I would still be willing to bet that it will never suddenly fall apart.

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