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Heat Insulators for Laptops
Alex Bischoff writes "The Gadgeteer has a review of a product called LapPads from LapLogic. They're heat-insulating pads to protect you from cooking your lap when using your laptop. Depending on the model, they apparently provide up to 57 degrees (F) reduction in heat transfer. Why didn't someone think of this sooner?"
personal attacks hurt, especially when deserved
What about the CoolPad?
I've had one for my iBook since early 2002 and it's great for that kind of thing. The swivel feature is neat when I'm working with someone and want to show them something on the screen.
I am not who I say you are.
"(Of course, any hardware that uses the operator as a heat-sink is ASKING to lose.)"
Many products use the user as a heat sink successfully. Handheld radios used by ham radio operators often rely on the user to hold them. Given the relatively large surface area, and the fact that the radio is conveniently palm sized, sometimes with metal casing, the operator generally is unaffected by the transferred heat.
If these same radios are left on a tabletop in a windless day and connected OQO style... transmitting nonstop... they would probably get uncomfortably warm if someone went to pick them up.
Of course this is not the intended operation mode or duty cycle...
it never hurts to RTFA though, or research this before posting opinions. laplogic claims the CPU will run cooler or as cool as on a table.
it's somewhat disappointing that they didn't dramatically improve the cooling as well though.
Maybe a USB powered fan system to supplement the built-in system during processor intensive stuff (where you're probably plugged in anyway).
I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
Yes. One reason Apple switched from plastic to Titanium (and later Aluminium) is because they were having trouble dissipating the heat from the G4. Plastic doesn't conduct heat that well, but metals do. (I bet most of the pots in your/your mom's kitchen have some aluminium in them. Mine have little aluminium discs on the bottom. Except for the ones that are cast iron.)
I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
Heat transfer is not measured in degrees! Here's a quick thermal lesson for you electrical guys....
Temperature rise is equivalent to voltage or potential.
Heat flow (Q) in Watts is equivalent to current in amps
Thermal resistance, measured in Degrees per Watt is the same as resistance measured in ohms.
The equations work the same way too. For most instances of steady state heat dissipation what you have is a constant power dissipation or in electrical terms a constant current. The thermal circuit in this case has the heat generating components at V+ and the room can be considered to be ground. There are resistances in the path and the the higher the resistance, the higher the temperature rise there is between nodes.
What this blanket does is to stick a high thermal resistance between the laptop and one of the heat paths and as a result there is a higher "potential".
But indeed the "current" (or watts) is still constant, so by increasing the resistance through one of the paths, you increase the current flowing through the other paths (and as you know from electricity for a constant resistance, will result in higher voltage across those resistances.
So yes, you keep you lap cool... at the expense of the components in your laptop. Be careful what you wish for.
-S
--- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
A cell phone is a good example of a case that must purely disapate its own heat. Most cell phones would benefit (structurally speaking) from a thicker case. In fact, I've seen design engineers at at least one major mobile phone maker that constantly want to double and triple the size of the "ribs" that reinforce the B-class interior surfaces. This is followed, everytime, by an engineering analyst who's bitching about the fact that the new plan will fry all the electronics.
If the case was nearly a perfect insulator, and the fan was responsible for pushing all the hot and cool air in and out of the case, you'd have a laptop that sounded like a small jet engine. ;-)
I downloaded a program for Toshibas thats runs the fan all the time - keeps the laptop cooler - uses a bit more juice I suppose - but who really uses bateries for anything more than shoulder strain?
cost is $2 - save yourself the $45 dollar (with shipping) silly thing
AIK
The current generation of Aluminum PowerBooks doesn't run hot. A little warm, yes, but you need that on those cold summer San Francisco nights.
sulli
RTFJ.
Put a 3 ring binder in your lap and the computer on top. It works perfectly.
The air space between the covers prevents the transfer of heat.
I figured this out through trial and error.
Laugh at my ignorance while I learn Rails - a Real ne
Several laptops (I know for sure Dell and Toshiba anyway) are designed to work properly on a flat smooth surface. That is, they have either an input or output vent which is supposed to be kept just above the desk surface by little feet. Those of us keeping it on our laps defeat this and become perfect candidates for some type of platform... be it a pad or a phone book.
Read that link again. It is running cooler than a when in pillow, not cooler than when in your lap.