Review: LapBottom
Product Information
Produced By: LapBottom Products
E-Mail: lapbottom@ncweb.com (for interested distributors)
Web: http://www.lapbottom.com/
US & Canadian Retailer: The Macintosh Guy of Portland
E-Mail: orders@themacintoshguy.com
Web: http://www.themacintoshguy.com/sales/lapbot.shtml
More Pictures: http://home.earthlink.net/~themacnut/lapbottom.htm
Price: $24.95
System Requirements
None, just a PowerBook to use it with
The LapBottom is a simple answer to a simple problem: How do you use your PowerBook comfortably when you are away from home, or even at home?
All PowerBook owners know that problem. No matter if you are trying to use your PowerBook in your bed, riding a train, in a car, or on a friend's couch, it seems virtually impossible to get it into a comfortable position. And once you have it in a spot that seems fine, it just slips away again. You play that game over and over, making your hands feel sore, your feet cramped, and are left wondering why there isn't a better way to do it. Well, there is!
The LapBottom solves that problem and more. Another issue with laptops, and especially the new PowerBook G3s, is heat. After a prolonged period of use they get hot. Damn hot! After using my PowerBook G3 for 8 hours straight, it got so hot that touching the trackpad hurt. It needs less time than that to get its underside uncomfortably hot. This is not good for you and even less for the PowerBook. It requires proper ventilation if you want it to last for a few years!
The LapBottom achieves that by slightly raising the bottom of the laptop so that air can circulate beneath it. It also provides a firm surface so that soft objects like cushions cannot mold to the bottom of your laptop shutting the air out. The surfaces are coated and/or textured to eliminate any slipping. I could hold my PowerBook at a 35-degree angle from the horizontal without letting it slip.
The bottom of the LapBottom is cushioned, which keeps the heat out and your lap comfortable. The cushioning also makes the LapBottom a lot lighter than it seems. It was very nice and easy to use. The quality of the craftsmanship seems excellent and makes a very durable impression.
The only issue I have with the LapBottom is its size, which makes it a little unpractical for transportation. There are other solutions available which are much smaller, although they only provide a heat shield and are much less comfortable. I guess the size is the trade-off one has to make room for all the good features it has.
So if you have a laptop whose slipping and heat really bother you, and if you have enough extra space in your carrying case, I strongly recommend you get a LapBottom!
Copyright © 1999 Daniel Chvatik, dchvatik@atpm.com. Reviewing in ATPM is open to anyone. Contact reviews@atpm.com for more information.
Reader Comments (0)
Add A Comment