From our front-page news:
As you could probably imagine, companies approach us often regarding review ideas for products of all stripes, from motherboards to graphics cards to chassis' to whatever else is technology-related. Over the course of the past year, though, there's one product-type that really seems to have caught on, and a week doesn't go by when we're not thrown some review ideas for them. What could I be talking about?
As the picture no doubt gave away, I'm talking about notebook coolers. On Friday, I was asked once again if we'd ever take a look at that particular company's coolers, or at the very least a roundup, and as usual, I said we'd like to in the future, but time won't allow it right now. And while time is quite limited lately (while we focus on our most important content), I can't help but ponder the idea a little bit, because many vendors are beginning to produce notebook coolers, and where Cooler Master is concerned, they even dedicated an entire line to all-things notebook (Choiix).
I've only dabbled in notebook cooling a few times before, but each time I did, I was left underwhelmed. While I do think some notebook coolers look nice, I don't think many of them have the ability to cool your particular notebook that well. After all, notebook designs aren't universal, so it's understandably difficult for a vendor to create one that's going to take care of the majority out there.
After thinking about it for a while, I began to wonder... even if notebook coolers were effective for a given model, how many people actually use them? I've had notebooks in the past that have run warm, but even then, I've never thought about picking up a product to help cool them down. Generally, if you're using a notebook on a desk, the heat isn't going to be so extreme that you simply couldn't use it, and where cooling would prove most useful (in bed), the coolers themselves are too hard and have rough edges, so they aren't exactly comfortable (and they could tear up your sheets - not in a good way!).
While I don't have an immediate need for such a product, and don't quite understand why they're popular (or so I'm told by various companies), I'd like to ask you guys what you think. Do you used a notebook cooler? Would you if you knew it would genuinely improve temperatures? Have your own experiences with one? Let your voice be heard in our related thread! If you're not yet a member of our forums, the sign-up is quick and painless, I promise!
As the picture no doubt gave away, I'm talking about notebook coolers. On Friday, I was asked once again if we'd ever take a look at that particular company's coolers, or at the very least a roundup, and as usual, I said we'd like to in the future, but time won't allow it right now. And while time is quite limited lately (while we focus on our most important content), I can't help but ponder the idea a little bit, because many vendors are beginning to produce notebook coolers, and where Cooler Master is concerned, they even dedicated an entire line to all-things notebook (Choiix).
I've only dabbled in notebook cooling a few times before, but each time I did, I was left underwhelmed. While I do think some notebook coolers look nice, I don't think many of them have the ability to cool your particular notebook that well. After all, notebook designs aren't universal, so it's understandably difficult for a vendor to create one that's going to take care of the majority out there.
After thinking about it for a while, I began to wonder... even if notebook coolers were effective for a given model, how many people actually use them? I've had notebooks in the past that have run warm, but even then, I've never thought about picking up a product to help cool them down. Generally, if you're using a notebook on a desk, the heat isn't going to be so extreme that you simply couldn't use it, and where cooling would prove most useful (in bed), the coolers themselves are too hard and have rough edges, so they aren't exactly comfortable (and they could tear up your sheets - not in a good way!).
While I don't have an immediate need for such a product, and don't quite understand why they're popular (or so I'm told by various companies), I'd like to ask you guys what you think. Do you used a notebook cooler? Would you if you knew it would genuinely improve temperatures? Have your own experiences with one? Let your voice be heard in our related thread! If you're not yet a member of our forums, the sign-up is quick and painless, I promise!
