If you use a laptop, listen up. This will be of interest to you. Unless there is something wrong with the nerves in your lap, or you’re in possession of some magic laptop that doesn’t produce heat, you’ve no doubt been in a situation where your laptop becomes uncomfortable to hold effectively.
I’ve tried many products aimed at alleviating the heat concerns emitted from my machine and had little success with any of them. I’ve also tried many half-assed options such as using a pillow, book, magazine, etc. Like the products, those solutions work for a short while, but inevitably begin to conduct heat from the laptop.
It was a predicament I had come to accept; a necessary evil that could not be got around. Or could it?
I first encountered the Lapinator back in August of last years. Due in part to preoccupation, it slipped from my memory and didn’t return until my recent purchase of a MacBook Pro.
When the Pro arrived, I experienced the same heat issues as always and set myself to discovering an alternative. It was then that Lapinator snapped back into my memory. Searching CrunchGear archives I located my old entry on the product and touched base with Lapinator, Inc. to get one of its products into my lap. It arrived this morning.
I’ve been using it for several hours and I have to say that this thing works. Comprised of 3M Thinsulate Ultra Insulation, the Lapinator is capable of deflecting most heat radiation before it’s absorbed by your sensitive parts. And the included rubber feet raise the back of your laptop and allow heat to dissipate more quickly, which, as you know, is good for any computer.
My only real gripe is that it doesn’t actually secure to your laptop. Granted I’m not entirely sure how that could be accomplished, but it would be a desirable feature. That said, in its current form, with the rubber feet, the laptop does stay in place quite well, I just wish it could somehow snap to the bottom.
The lap-side is made of comfortable padding that rests happily against your legs. The standard version measures just 13 x 12 x 1-inches and weighs in at only 10-ounces, while the Plus measures 18 x 12 x 1-inches and weighs 15-ounces. It fits snugly within my laptop case and looks as if it should be easy to transport.
At just $24.95 for the Lapinator and $29.95 for the Lapinator Plus (reviewed), this item is a great investment for anyone who owns a laptop and a lap. It’s available now.
My 250 page matsci textbook works fine for me. But i guess that cost 150 bucks, as opposed to 30…
Other ways i’ve gotten by
- Stolen lunch tray from cafeteria laid across a pillow
- various textbooks
- 3 ring binder
Given none of those have comfortable padding, but most cost little to none.
To each his own.
I’ve looked into buying something like this, but never really found it important enough to justify the expense, especially when I can use other things I already own (such as Jon Lee mentions).
What I *would* spend my hard-earned money on is a product I could secure to my recumbent bike ( http://amazon.com/gp/product/B000BGI5CI ) so I can use my laptop while pedaling. I have yet to see anything that accomplishes that task… Have you, Blake (or anyone else)?
It took me a second to realize that you meant a stationary recumbent. I was like, “Wow, it’s probably not safe to ride a bike and play on a laptop.” Anyway, despite my dumbness, I’ve seen something that might interest you: http://crunchgear.com/2006/09/28/geek-a-cycle-blog-your-way-to-fitness/
When I read the first paragraph of your post I hadn’t come to the realization yet that this was such a large issue amongst laptop users. I’ve owned a Sony FE-11M Laptop for about 9 months now and have it on my laptop close to 3, or could it be 5 hours every day, it slightly warms up but nothing that comes close to discomfort, do I have a magic model? or are other brands doing something wrong?
I use the antech notebook cooler when I have my macbook chilln’ (ha!) on my desk closed clamshell, but on my lap the stiffness would get to me. I think a padded protector like this is a money idea, but alas I would also need a way to secure the laptop to it before I bit the bullet. Thx for the heads up.
hehehe, bpm2000 said stiffness on his lap!
Thanks for the link, Blake. It’s an interesting product, but it’s a bit too bulky (and fugly) for my tastes…