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Posted by Richard Carpenter on May 7, 2008, 6:30 pm
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> Richard Carpenter wrote:
>>>
>>> Notebook cooling pads are simply a waste of money and time. None do
>>> anything but cool the bottom case surface where little internal heat is
>>> rejected. I hope that those USB-powered cooler manufacturers are sued
>>> into oblivion when the notebook's USB is burned to the ground for no
>>> apparent benefit.
>>>
>>
>> I would say there is definitely value to cooling the bottom side of most
>> laptops. That said, I agree that the USB-powered coolers have been known
>> to draw enough power to burn out USB ports. It happened to a friend of
>> mine, who was using one on his Toshiba Satellite (some 4 or 5 years old,
>> now).
>>
>> Also, two things to consider: 1) my Toshiba (also nearly 5 years old) got
>> *very* hot - so hot that I had to move it from my lap. It would actually
>> leave my legs red if I were wearing shorts, and 2) AMD mobile processors
>> do get hotter than their Intel counterparts. AMD seems to have overcome
>> the heat issue with their desktop processors, but their mobile offerings
>> still generate more heat than Intel.
>>
>
> The current term is "notebook", since so many of the Pentium 4 notebooks
> would burn the user into fine ash if used as a "laptop". You can verify
> the idiocy of the term "laptop" by locating the ambient air inlet to the
> cooling fan. Almost, without exception, the ambient air inlet to the
> cooling fan is on the bottom surface where it can be blocked when placed
> anywhere other than on a hard horizontal surface.
>
> No "notebook" computers are being sold with the idea of having the unit on
> one's lap or in bed since the ambient air inlet is on the bottom surface.
> Burning of something - one's person, the bed coverings, the notebook
> itself, can ensue if a "notebook" is used as a "laptop".
Sorry. You're incorrect. The term is still used and as applicable as ever,
like it or not. Also, unless you're talking about the monster-sized
laptops - which will undoubtedly run too hot for lap usage - people do still
use them on their laps. I do. My wife does. Most people I know with laptops
do as well. As a matter of fact, about the only scenario where the typical
user *wouldn't* regularly do so, is with the "desktop replacement" models -
the larger units that are just too heavy to lug around. They are usually
just desktop components crammed into a more portable, self-contained
chassis.
None of the laptops I have owned (and I've owned many) have had the air
inlets on the bottom. This is probably because I have never owned one with
more than a 15" display. I might also mention that laptops are commonly
referred to as "portables", even though the larger models clearly don't fit
that description very well. For that matter, perhaps you should take it upon
yourself to coin a new term for the 17"+ display models, as "notebook"
doesn't really work for those, either.
--
Richard Carpenter
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