Hands-On Review--Laptop Desk 2.0

As we were first to note back in January in our "Hands-On" Macworld 2006 show floor report, Apple's Intel-based MacBook Pros run on the hot side. While we don't find our production 15" MacBook Pro to be particularly hotter than our previous 17" PowerBook G4's, at least not subjectively, many apparently do to the point where using a MacBook Pro on their lap is claimed to be painful. Apple has responded to this issue by no longer calling its portables "laptops" but calling them "notebooks" instead. Accessory makers have responded with products.

One such product is the Laptop Desk 2.0 from LapWorks. Laptop Desk 2.0 is actually two products in one, in that it easily converts from a laptop tray to a desktop stand. It is made from high impact black plastic and it has rubber areas to grip the back of a notebook.

LapWorks claims that the Laptop Desk 2.0 cools your notebook by up to 15 to 20 percent and backs it up by posting this thermal study. The study measured an 8-10 percent reduction in heat in the tray position, i.e. sitting on one's lap, and 15-20 percent heat reduction in the desktop stand position.

We have used our review copy of the Laptop Desk 2.0 for several weeks with our MacBook Pro and our 12" PowerBook G4. At no time did we feel heat through the Laptop Desk 2.0 while wearing shorts. The Laptop Desk 2.0 as a laptop tray is very sturdy and we easily used it with both 'Books in this mode. The image above shows a mouse being used with a Laptop Desk 2.0 in the tray position but the area for a mouse is actually quite small. It is usable but is fairly constrained for our wireless Mighty Mouse.

On a desk, the Laptop Desk 2.0 folds into a stand with five different elevations. It works fine in this mode.

The Laptop Desk 2.0 is very light and can be folded and placed in a laptop bag for travel. The lightness, however, contributes to the underside being slightly uncomfortable on bare legs because there is no backing, a relatively minor issue.

We can't confirm that our 'Books ran any cooler on the Laptop Desk 2.0 than without it. We played the Macworld 2006 keynote in QuckTime nearly full screen for 30 minutes and then read the 'Books' temperature as determined by the utilities Temperature Monitor (12" PowerBook G4) and CoreDuoTemp (15" MacBook Pro). The recorded temperatures were identical--56^oC for the 12" PowerBook G4 and 62^oC for the 15" MacBook Pro-- whether the 'Book was running flat on the top of the desk or on the Laptop Desk 2.0 in stand position.

In summary, the Laptop Desk 2.0 at $29.95 is an excellent accessory for using your 'Book on your lap without feeling any heat. It also makes into a very usable desk top stand and is light enough to fold and carry with you in a bag. [Bill Fox]