<a href="http://www.ipresents.co.uk/tech/2005/09/ilap-laptop-stand.html"><img src="http://www.macidol.com/assets/images/ilap_no-cushion.jpg" alt="ilap powerbook stand" width="325" height="251"/></a>
I have been a very happy PowerBook user for 3 years now. I have a 667MHz PowerBook and recently I bought a 17" 1.5GHz machine. I have really 2 main problems with PowerBooks - heat - they get hot on your lap and from a musician's point of view this can be pretty frustrating when the fan kicks in. No one warned me just how hot a laptop can get - I at first thought that my first PowerBook was faulty - but this is not the case - they just run hot. The heat causes the inbuilt fan to switch in and this can prove to be very annoying and when recording audio - a real headache! Even with (and perhaps - even more so!) a good condensor microphone attached via an M-Box or similar or using the PowerBook's (or iBooks) built in mic the noise can play havoc with your audio recording. Of course - it means the battery life will be shortened too.
It seemed that other PowerBook users had the same problem.
http://www.macidol.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=199
So I looked for a solution and and found one - a Simpson's TV dinner tray.
<img src="http://www.macidol.com/assets/images/simpsons_tray.jpg" alt="lap tray" width="210" height="144"/>
It's got a padded bass and this help keep my lap cool and also helped when used on a bed. It didn't really help with the fan noise though and was no help when used on my desk. So although it was a relatively cheap solution - it still wasn't the definitive resolution I had been searching for.
<img src="http://www.macidol.com/assets/images/ilap_side.jpg" alt="iLap stand" width="258" height="132"/>
Enter the iLap. After seeing this on the internet, and reading some cool reviews - I was pretty sure that the iLap laptop stand was gonna be the best thing I could do for my PowerBook. For a start it's designed for use on your lap and desk. It has a removable soft cushion for the front support - which is only necessary for lap use. It's anodised aluminium finish matches the Ali PowerBooks perfectly and comes in 5 sizes so that you can get the exact size for your 12" iBook or PowerBook up to the 17" PowerBook.
There was one problem though I couldn't buy it online in the UK. So like my other business - iChimes.com - where I sell <a href="http://www.ipresents.co.uk/shop/woodstock/"> Woodstock Windchimes</a> because I couldn't find them online in the UK at the time. I thought the iLap would be a great product to stock in my <a href="http://www.ipresents.co.uk/tech/2005/09/ilap-laptop-stand.html">iPresents.co.uk shop</a>.
<img src="http://www.macidol.com/assets/images/ilap_cushion.jpg" width="340" height="251"/>
The iLap lifts up your laptop about 3 inches at the back sloping down to about an inch at the front. This helps dissipate the heat and also raises the screen height to a better height ergonomically when used on your desk. It is not too high so you can still use the built in track-pad and keyboard. The removable front pad makes it very comfortable when used on your lap. It does get in the way of your front loading CD/DVD tray though. For me this isn't much of a problem. It really changes my PowerBook to very comfortable couch potato recording studio or audio editing suite when used with a nice pair of phones. Before the iLap (and Simpson's tray lol) the heat used to get very uncomfortable and of course the fan would not only drain my battery but becomes a nuisance. For many users the fan might not be a problem. But when using cpu intensive apps like GarageBand then you need to set your energy savings settings to "Maximum" - Automatic don't cut it when running off batteries. Much to my spouses horror, I can also knock out GarageBand tracks in the comfort of my bed. Trust me - unless your partner is deaf, using a fan assisted lap top in your bedroom is not a good move.... So the iLap comes into it's own in this situation too!
Used on a desk, I find my elevated PowerBook is at a great height. It also works well with an external keyboard and mouse - which I wish I had got when I first got my Titanium PowerBook. It sure would have saved a lot of wear and tear!
<img src="http://www.macidol.com/assets/images/tibook.jpg" alt="powerbook" width="210" height="157"/>
I also prefer using an external keyboard and mouse - I got an Apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse for use with my bluetooth enabled PowerBook - I am very glad I did. It also allows me to operate the Mac from the other side of the room - which might be cool to keep the noise getting picked up on microphones while recording. I can also push the Mac back a little too - which I prefer. The combination of external keyboard, mouse and an iLap laptop stand is pretty formidable for the desktop. It's like having a fully fledged desk top machine now but with the added benefit of being able to take my iLife wherever I go. I use airport so to go and surf in my living room I just unplug the mains power and take my iLap/ PowerBook combo to do a bit of couch potato web surfing.
So if you wanna keep your lap cool, cut down on fan noise and get a solid base for your Apple iBook or PowerBook - get an iLap. If you have invested money in your portable computer why not stay cool? It'll probably keep it more reliable over a period of years - I don't think prolonged hot running will be good for any electrical equipment. Plus if you work with audio the benefits should not be ignored. You could use anything to help cool your laptop - bricks, books or even Simpson's TV dinner trays - but they only have to slip once - and it might cost you a lot more.
So if your in the UK (or Europe) and wanna get an <a href="http://www.ipresents.co.uk/tech/2005/09/ilap-laptop-stand.html">iLap laptop stand</a> checkout my site http://www.ipresents.co.uk we offer free UK delivery and same day despatch. For the rest of the world check out http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html
And this concludes my advert - erm I mean review
for the iLap laptop stand...
<b>iLap - Cool for laps - Cool for cats.</b>
Rich
) does reduce the temperature of ones nuts. Any tray will help - even my good ole Simpsons tray does, but the iLap's industrial grade aluminum looks cool and will probably help reduce other forms of radition to ones lap too.