Targus PA248U Notebook Chill Pad | List Price: $29.99
Discount Price: $19.99
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Brand: Targus
Binding: Electronics
Warranty: 1 year warranty
Features: - Prevent Overheating: Two-Fan Cooling System Pulls Heat Away From The Notebook and Prevents The Cpu From Overheating During Use
- Protect Your Workspace: High-Heat Generating Notebooks Can Damage Furniture Surfaces; Using The Chill Mat¿ Protects Furniture From Heat Damage
- Powered By Your Notebook: Plug Into The USB Port for Power, and Turn On The Fans with The On/Off Switch
- Power: 1.05 W
Cheap, plastic, junk [Posted on 2008-06-24]
I would not recommend this product. During the first week a blade broke off one of the fans and during the next 2 weeks, 2 more blades broke off. Plus I haven't noticed that it keeps my laptop any cooler than without the pad. All it does is drain the battery. I have not used the product inappropriately - it's just junk.
Not Worth Its Price [Posted on 2008-06-24]
I have owned two of these. The first one just quit after about a week. Fortunately, I was able to exchange it at the retail location where I obtained it. The second one has lasted longer, but has recently died. The unit is not very durable, in my opinion, for everyday use.
The on-off toggle switch is easily broken off, thus rendering any control over on-off variability useless. This happened in both models I owned shortly after purchase. The fan grills are made of formed plastic--as is the entire unit--but the grill pieces are thin and also easily snapped off. If a piece of it gets down inside, forget any kind of notions you had about a quiet laptop cooler.
Honestly, if I had paid $20, I would say it was ok for the money. But it was not worth $30 to me, as it lacked durabillity. I won't purchase another.
Flimsy, different than picture [Posted on 2008-06-28]
First of all, the cooler I got looks nothing like the picture. It's more hourglass-shaped than rectangular. That makes it hard to firmly hold the laptop and the cooler at the same time when lifting them.
Which leads directly to my next point: the cooler won't tolerate any drop at all, even the one foot length of the USB cable. Mine broke two fan blades; it happened the first day I had it.
It still works, but it vibrates quite a bit on my lap (or I would have given it one star, ha).
It does prevent the laptop from cooking my legs, which is what I bought it for. But I doubt it'll last the week.
Cools fine, but not if you like to move your laptop around. [Posted on 2008-06-30]
I got this because I sometimes have to work extra hours on my MacBook, that heats up quite a lot.
In terms of cooling, the the pad works fine. I mean, the laptop does not stay *cold* to the touch, but it certainly takes a lot longer to warm up and stays at a comfortable working temperature. The moving fans are encased so that you can easily use this pad on your lap or sofa without worrying about the fans doing any damage.
So why only 3 stars? Well, the cable that connects the machine to the USB port is really flimsy and the connection is not good. Within a month of getting this, the fans just stopped working on occasion and I soon realized that this was simply because the cable was moving slightly and this meant the current was no longer flowing. In practice what this means is that the pad now only works if the cable is arranged just-so and does not move at all.
Personally, I like to work on my laptop in the living room, and change positions a lot. I put the computer on the coffee table, then move it to my lap, onto the sofa etc. etc. That's why I work with a laptop. This doesn't work at all with the cooling pad because every time I move a little the cable moves and the fans stop working. It works fine as long as my laptop is on the table, but if I put it on my lap the cable moves all the time and I keep having to rearrange it.
So, this is an OK-ish product for the price, as long as you like to work with your computer in a stationary position (i.e sitting at a desk). If you like to work on your lap or move the computer around, it doesn't do the job. I have now decided to try and purchase a different cooling pad, and use this one for my x-box instead. There it can remain stationary and do its cooling job.
small, light, it works...for now. [Posted on 2008-07-01]
I purchased this one, as oppose to the other 4 or so popular ones because it was on sale, currently, it is listed at $25, it is not worth that much.
I have a cheap dell, so it overheats and this cooler does a good job at keeping it cool. It's not the most powerful thing in the world, but it gets the job done, unless your laptop major overheats. My laptop fan is directly over one of the cooler's fan, so it worked out well for me, but it might not for other people since its focus point is whats pictured.
Pro:
It is a closed backside, meaning you can keep it on your desk or put it on your lap. I keep it on almost all the time - sometimes even at night when I'm sleeping and I don't hear any noise at all, 6 feet away.
Con:
The usb cable is too long. Its hard to clean since you have to reach from the back to the middle, or the top in - but who really cleans them? The plastic and 4 black button thingy on the back (it actually fell off, but you don't really need it) is cheap. After about nine months of use, the cord part starts to get silly - I have to bend it in a certain way for it to work - with the help of a rubber band.
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