The following are things that should be checked prior to connecting to the laptops network.
More detailed explanations follow.
Check to make sure that you don't have file sharing turned on. Consider using the U.CC text based e-mail, over a product such as Outlook, or Netscape mail. By default, in most Windows installations, file sharing is not enabled. However, it is a good idea to make sure that it isn't on, before you connect to a network. Windows file sharing will allow other people on the network to access the files on your computer.