Product
Review:
Lapworks
Laptop Desk
By
Mitchell Levine
Some
products are revolutionary because they solve old problems in
an entirely new and effective way. In the 1980s, fax machines
were a quantum leap in communications technology because they
made the telegram obsolete. We’ve improved on the formula since,
but no-one could deny that they would never again depend on Western
Union. A strong case can be made though, that the truest revolutions
are those that solve a problem which we don’t yet know is a problem,
but suffer from anyways. The Lapworks Laptop Desk is such a product.
Superficially, the Lapworks Original fails to give this impression.
When opened, the product’s package reveals a 20 3/8” x 11 1/16”
polycarbonate folding desktop designed to be used as a supporting
undercarriage for a mobile computer. Laid beneath your laptop,
it will ensure the computer can be used in your lap without burning
you, while distributing the weight evenly on its casing. I’ve
owned three laptops, rely on them almost completely in my work,
and probably log on to one for at least a few hours on any given
day, but still have never wanted or needed to actually use one
on my lap. Reasonably then, you might ask why I would feel that
this item should still be referred to as “revolutionary” anyhow?
As anyone who has spent time traveling, or living in a New York
City apartment, will confirm, space is precious. If desk space
isn’t available or convenient, after several hours of hunkering
down on a bed-top over a mobile, I’m very frequently annoyed by
system crashes of applications loaded from CD-ROM drives. These
can be so severe that all unsaved infor-
mation will just disappear, and the system will not recognize
the disk at all, often even after re-boot. Three manufacturers’
worth of supporting documentation have not suggested even a clue
of an explanation.
It turns out, in fact, that this glitch is more than just an annoyance:
it’s a symptom of imminent, irreversible damage. When used on
an upholstered or plush surface, a computer’s ventilation ducts
will be blocked, impeding its internal cooling fans. With the
enormous clock speed of today’s mobile CPUs, the heat generated
eventually causes various component failures, and long-term overall
destruction. Again, none of my computers’ manufacturers informed
me of this in their literature.
The Laptop Desk elevates the rear ducts off the surface beneath
it, and allows the computer to “breath” through its deep ventilation
channels. In my example case, two hours of unprotected use might
entail an average of three such crashes. With the Laptop Desk,
I’ve found that only an extraordinary stretch of continuous usage
has produced this type of catastrophic failure, perhaps 10 straight
hours or more. Although research has not yet verified what the
precise effect on the lifespan of a typical computer might be,
I would be surprised if it were not considerable.
When you factor in its ergonomic design and the security of its
non-slip surfaces, it’s hard to imagine more value to the serious
mobile user for under $20 than the Lapworks Original. For more
information, contact Lapworks sales at 1-877-LAP-WORKS, or online
at the company’s site at www.lapworksinc.com #
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the publisher. © 2001.
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