Testing The Cool Stand

The Cool Stand supports notebook sizes of 12" to 14" diagonally. In our tests, we used a 12.1" Dell wide-screen notebook. To set up the Cool Stand, all we needed to do was lift the support rod into the height we wanted, and lock it into the appropriate notch.

Once locked into place, we placed the notebook onto the Cool Stand. Although it's not as deep as standard format 12" notebooks, it still fitted well on the Cool Stand. Of course, the notebook ended up resting on the support plate, instead of the thicker support rod. This could be a problem.

Front view	Back view

The support rod has two thick rubber rings at both ends. They are designed to grip the notebook and prevent it from moving about. However, this notebook isn't as deep as deep enough to lie on the support rod. As such, the rubber rings do not make contact with the notebook base and will not keep it from moving about.

In addition, because support is provided primarily by the support rod, this may be a problem for notebooks that do not have an flat under-surface. Generally, most notebooks are not flat underneath, and rely on plastic or rubber feet of various heights to maintain a level top surface. So, you will need to adjust the position of the notebook to ensure that it is aligned properly. Otherwise, the notebook will be tilted to one side, like our Dell notebook.

Left view	Right view

With the notebook loaded, we gave it a twirl. We had no problem spinning the notebook around on the Cool Stand, although it was a little noisy doing so. We are happy to report that the Cool Stand did not wobble when we swiveled the notebook around. That would have been a bigger problem than the noise.

Ergonomics

Next, we tested with some heavy typing. We found that the optimum setting for use with the Dell notebook was the third-last notch. This gave the notebook a comfortable slant that helps prevent RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury). This also puts the screen at a higher elevation, which may actually be preferable since it prevents you from slouching to squint at the display.

As mentioned earlier, the uneven undersurface of the Dell notebook caused it to tilt slightly to the right. While it looked pretty bad, it didn't result in a serious usage problem. Fortunately, the notebook remain steady even with the tilt and the rubber feet not providing any grip.

However, the swivel base proved to be a little too easy to rotate. The notebook kept slipping left and right while we were typing which was a rather uncomfortable experience.

Cooling

You may think that the heat from notebooks will not be hot enough to burn you, but I have personally seen my notebook destroy my table top after prolonged exposure to the heat radiated from the underside. It caused the wooden surface to warp after several months of usage. Not a pretty sight to behold and the table was rendered unusable.

Most passive coolers are actually designed to prevent "thigh burns". They make use of a plastic base which is a relatively poor heat conductor to reduce heat conduction from the notebook to the table surface or your thighs. The same applies to Cool Stand.

However, Cool Stand actually elevates the notebook off the plastic base. This creates a large space below the notebook where air can freely pass. This improves the cooling of the notebook's underside. It also prevents heat from being transmitted to the plastic base.