Sandia's Laptop Heatpipes Closer To Market

mckennabluedot.com writes "Laptops aren't truly portable until you can stand to sit with one on your lap for more than 30 minutes. Sandia National Labs has developed small copper 'wicks' to transport methanol--and waste heat--from one area of a computer to another, where it can be dispersed more efficiently, comfortably and compactly than with heat sinks. The technology is being licensed to an undisclosed startup." So this stuff (mentioned here previously) might soon make it to a lap near you.

Comments

non-waste heat?

[heldlikesound]

Is there such thing as computer heat that is not waste? Unless you are recycling the heat somehow, which seems unfeasable, it seems that all heat would be waste.

Related Technology: CoolPad

[pheph]

Although I haven't received mine yet, I've read excellent reviews of the incredibly simple (and cheap) Laptop CoolPad. They offer Traveller and Podium (read: big and clunky) versions... Anyone had any experience with these?

Re:Related Technology: CoolPad

[wideBlueSkies]

Couldn't you just do the same thing by leaning your laptop on a thin O'reilly book? OK, so maybe you's have to go to the craft store and spend 69 cents on rubber feet to keep the laptop from sliding.

Beats paying $19.99. And you already HAVE the O'reilly book.

Re:Related Technology: CoolPad

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, with many recent (and not so recent) laptops, well, "notebooks", it is important that there be some amount of space (that afforded by the spacing pads when sitting on a desk or table) between the bottom of the notebook and the surface it is on.

Some actually have fans on the bottom.

maybe YOUR laptop is too hot

[anonymous loser]

I have a Sharp MV12W and have had no trouble sitting for many hours (usually all day in my current situation) with it on my lap, even wearing shorts.

That being said, my previous laptop (or craptop, as I like to think of it) was a Dell 8000 series. Not only did the thing weigh a metric ton, it also produced enough heat to fry eggs.

The only thing I sorta regret with my current laptop is the lack of screen real estate. However, given that the screen size on the Dell actually prohibited me from opening the thing up all the way on an airplane (unless I was in first class), and the travelling weight of my current laptop is less than half (nearly 1/3)of the Dell, it's a trade-off I'm more than willing to make.

Re:Ignorant question?

[ejaw5]

you mean not operating the laptop flat on your lap? interesting, to me using a laptop on your lap is sort of a balancing act. you got to have the base at the right position, and screen open not too far so it won't jump off your lap as soon as you take your hands off the keyboard. Then you have to also compensate for air openings on the side (or God forbid on the bottom), make sure your clothing don't block them.

Re:Ignorant question?

[gl4ss]

nothing, heatpipes are not dependand on gravity(thats why they got that wick inside, and thats what they claim).

on a sidenote however, i could just swear that this is just some companys hop in announcement to the market and nothing totally _new_ as many laptops ALREADY have these, and it's not about cooler running laptops either, it's just moving the heat to another place from the components.