The word laptop is a very deceptive term. The general construction of it implies that such a device would be comfortable on a person’s lap. More often than not, however, this is not the case. They tend to heat up and nearly catch you aflame or are just plain uncomfortable. Personally, I have never used a laptop that proved comfortable after a few hours of use. Laplogic offers their own unique approach to this solution with their Aerogel Lapdesk . We had the privilege of trying their new G800 and W800 Aerogel Extreme lapdesks to see how they solve our heat and comfort woes.
Review Sample Provided By: LapLogic
Review By: Tomikaze
Picture By: Garfi3ld
Testing Laptop: Gateway P-6831FX
Appearance:
Laplogic's products are straightforward with very few external frills. To be quite blunt, they are rectangles with rounded corners. That's not to say that they're ugly, quite opposite in fact. Laplogic offers their Lapdesks in two color schemes: gold and grey or blue and slate colors. These are applied to any region not covered by the black insulation and mesh with its color quite effectively. The thermal channels are covered by the same insulation, so they don't stand out anymore than the rest of the Lapdesk.
W800/G800 Differences: The reverse side of the G800 and the W800 are exactly the same, with insulation on both outer edges for a person's legs and a transparent pocket, which can be used to hold a CD, some documents, something flat anyway.
On the laptop side, the difference between the wide Lapdesk and its brother is fairly obvious - the W800 possesses an integrated mouse pad! This is easily one of the most useful features I have ever come across in a portable laptop desk. Given the choice, many people opt to use a portable mouse instead of an infernal touch pad. With the W800 there is no need to search for a flat surface for such a mouse, its already provided!
Another feature that separates Laplogic's products from are their small form factor: they measure only an inch thick. The wide Lapdesk boasts a meager weight of 26 ounces, while the normal G800 is only 16 ounces. Even though this sounds flimsy, nothing less than trying to break a Lapdesk over your knee would damage it.
Function/Intended Use:
Regardless of whether you appreciate the style of Laplogic's Lapdesks or not, you can't argue their results. The first thing you notice about the Lapdesk is that using it helps stabilize the weight of the laptop and makes it level on your lap, thus, more comfortable. While it is rigid, the Lapdesk provides enough cushion to make the entire laptop experience more comfortable. The thermal channels do a good job of redirecting heat toward the back of the laptop and away from it, as well as hold it up high enough for side vents to be well clear of your leg. If you happen to be a lefty you can turn around the Lapdesk in order to use a mouse in your left hand and the thermal channels will still do their job adequately. My only complaint heat-wise is that when the external insulation heats up enough, it becomes stretchy, allowing the laptop to move around slightly. This is a minor annoyance really though. The wide Lapdesk is more than accommodating for a wide screen laptop which is a plus, at the cost of the the mouse pad however. The regular Lapdesk was obviously made with smaller laptops in mind, as my 17" wide screen laptop was a little too much for it. Not that this is really a downfall, mind you. If you have a large laptop then you should know better than to buy standard accessories for it. A welcome feature is the fact that it raises the laptop up when placed on a flat surface, making for easier typing, viewing, and once again, vent clearance.
Technology:
Scientifically speaking the 800 series Lapdesks are a marvel on their own due to the inclusion of Aspen Areogel insulation technology, the same found in the Mars rover and the StarDust interplanetary probe. This is integrated with Laplogic's standard C2R Thermal technology, providing up to 99.9% heat reduction. Its little wonder that these lapdesks perform so admirably when it comes to insulation.
Overall:
In my opinion the Laplogic Aerogel Lapdesk, be it the W800 or the G800, is a must have product for any laptop user. I'm a little disappointed that they don't carry a model capable of handling a 17" laptop as well as providing the space for a mouse pad, but that's not Laplogic's problem. Laptops that big and larger are generally marketed as desktop replacements, not so much as a portable computing solution. That aside, the stretchy material problem was the only problem I ran into, and at worst, it was merely annoying. The sheer amount of improvement as far as comfort and heat transfer when using the Lapdesk make it a product I won't be likely to go without ever again, so I can wholeheartedly recommend this product even at full price.
