Antec USB-Powered Notebook Cooler
by Antec
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Antec USB-Powered Notebook Cooler
Customer Review: Works well with MacBook Pro - as long as the rubber risers are used
Summary: 4 Stars
I used to be able to fry an egg on my 15" 2008 MacBook Pro. After using several different notebook coolers in the past, I knew not to expect miracles, but the Antec cooler comes pretty close. Temps have dropped across the board (anywhere from 2-15 degrees) using the same apps in the same ambient room temperature.
PROS:
1.) Actually drops temps. MacBook Pro is cool/warm to the touch at peak usage (even underneath).
2.) Included rubber risers provide enough distance between the laptop and fans to provide a more effective vacuum, and simultaneously keeps the sharp edges of the grill from scratching your laptop (a major concern for most aluminum macbook pro users). Also keeps your laptop stationary.
3.) Made for a desk, but equally effective on your lap.
CONS:
1.) If you have a MacBook Pro, you won't be able to use the laptop power cable and the Antec's USB adapter simultaneously (both USB port and power port are located directly next to each other), unless you stretch the USB cable to the other side. Using the rubber risers makes this painless, as you can just drape the cable underneath the laptop. Without the risers, I imagine you'd need to stretch the cable around your laptop or beneath the cooler.
2.) The blue power light is ridiculously bright, though, it's nothing a little electrical tape can't handle.
OTHER:
My first Antec Notebook Cooler - purchased almost 3yrs ago and used with an iBook G4 - lasted only slightly over a year before the fans started getting loud, dying shortly thereafter. I hope this one lasts longer.
Customer Review: Great Notebook Computer Cooler!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Antec Notebook Cooler is a wonderful thing.
I initially bought this item to cool the iBook when using it on a desk and I bought another item, a laptop cooling pad, for use when I was actually holding the iBook on my lap. I returned the laptop cooling pad because the Antec notebook cooler is all I need. The Antec is quiet and efficient and keeps the heat level down. I'm sure this will do wonders to prolong the computer and battery life.
The base has large flat rubber nonskid pads that keep it in place on a counter, table, or desk and also serve well to keep the computer from sliding around on the lap.
It is light weight and has recesses on either side so lifting the computer and the cooler together is easy and secure. The Antec cooler lifts the computer up about 1 1/8" from the work surface. This includes the height of the rubber bumpers that elevate the computer from the surface of the cooler and keep it secure from slipping.
The Antek runs on DC power and plugs into the computer USB port and has a pass-through connector to accept another USB device which must be require no more than 0.1 Amp or 0.5 watts. There are two fan speeds and I have found no need to use the high setting. The low setting keeps everything cool and in unobtrusive.
This is a great investment and I wish I had been using it from the first day I brought my computer home. I would recommend this to everyone with a notebook computer and I plan to buy this item as a gift for friends.
I highly recommend it. It would be a bargain at twice the price.
Customer Review: worrks great so far!
Summary: 3 Stars
I've had this laptop notebook cooler for about a month now and so far so good. It definitely cools my laptop down a few notches and it's a notable difference too. Prior to purchasing this, my laptop usually ran hot because it was always on and I often worried about overheating. Not so anymore.
However, there are some notable issues worth mentioning.
I think this product mainly fits non-widescreen laptops. I have a widescreen and it doesn't fully fit atop the four rubber pegs like it should. It is still usable of course but doesn't cover all pegs the way it was intended.
The construction of the USB chord isn't as sturdy as it should be. And care should be paid to it or else it'll snap or rip off. It's that fragile. You would think they would have made it thicker or stronger or reinforced it in some way but they didn't. I'm sure this issue has been raised on numerous reviews too.
Oh, and the blue LED light, what's with that? Did they have to make it super bright? At least they should have given us a feature to manually turn it off but they didn't. But not a biggie because I read a few reviewers say they placed duct tape over it. Sorry, but that's just cheesy. I'll settle for the LED light over duct tape.
I think that's about it for my griping. Overall this product does what it says it does. It does cool the laptop down a few degrees and you can tell by touching the surface of your laptop. If you can live with the flaws then I'd buy this product over the other comparable ones. It's light. It's portable. And easily fits into my laptop bag.
Customer Review: Very Good Laptop Cooler - Highly Recommended!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Antec "USB-Powered Notebook Cooler" works much better than I expected! I work from home full time, sitting in an easy chair with my laptop literally on my lap for 9-10 hours a day. My 2 year old Compaq laptop is great, but tends to run very hot and it has unceremoniously shut down twice recently for what I believe to be overheating since it was almost too hot to touch while sitting on my lapdesk. After reading the other reviews, this Antec product seemed like the best solution. Here are my observations:
Pros-
+ Stable Design; rubberized feet on the base and rubber spacers on top ensure laptop will not easily slide around
+ Cools Well; has a low and high fan settings that both move a fair amount air around the bottom of the laptop
+ USB Powered; the unit takes power from the laptop USB, but has a "passthough" connector so you don't actually lose the port
+ Fairly Quite; the fans are relatively quite, even on the high setting
Cons-
- USB Power Cord is a little short and only reaches to the left side of my large laptop, fortunately I have a USB port on the left side otherwise (as other reviewers also suggest) an extension cable would have to be used
- USB Connector sticks out about an inch from the side of the laptop to accommodate the "passthrough" port
Misc-
* The blue power light is VERY bright!
Overall, this is a great solution for keeping my laptop running cool and likely has even bought me some extra time before I will need to buy a new one.
Highly Recommended!
CFH
Customer Review: Great Laptop Cooler, My First
Summary: 5 Stars
The Antec Notebook/Laptop Cooler is great. It works great with my huge 18" Screen HP DHX18t Laptop. A concur with the others POSITIVE comments and reviews. I have only a couple beefs and comments. The pegs might not line up with the bottoms of the smallest Notebooks and Netbooks. Though that problem could be solved with small stick-on rubber feet pads from a hardware store. After close to two years I've found that the noise level has increased with use and dust accumulation. I had to do more than blow my dust away, I had to use small tweezers (forceps) to remove my fibrous dust. Yes, the light blue light is annoying at night in the dark. Makes everyone walking into the room look like "Dr. Manhattan" from the "Watchmen" Gothic novel and film. I have not bothered to cover it. The left - right USB jack issue with ones computer, I don't see. Of course my Laptop has USB's on both sides, but for those with PC's / Mac's with such jacks only on the right, big deal, turn the cooler around. Who cares if the name logo is upside down to read when you can't see it under the PC anyway. But yes, the cord is short, probably for a reason. I've found the cable storage compartment hard to open even with the lock open. The Power Jack and Hi-Lo Switch might have been better placed in front - though then the cord might get in the way - as they are hard to reach under the overhang of my Laptop. I have to pick it up to disconnect the unit when I move the Laptop. All small issues. Otherwise this unit is great (though I have never used another), and from what I read by others it is great too.