Belkin F8N044-SLV CushTop Notebook Stand (Silver)
by Belkin Components
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List Price: Our Price: $23.50 You Save: $16.49 (41%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $22.99 (click here) Category: Personal Computer See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Belkin F8N044-SLV CushTop Notebook Stand (Silver)
Customer Review: Fine, but there are better alternatives
Summary: 3 Stars
I have owned this item for 6+ months. I have used it with a Lenovo ThinkPad x301, a 17" MacBookPro and an Asus EEE 1000H. It does the job in a workmanlike manner. To be honest, I was pretty happy with it, but it is fairly bulky and I didn't always want something with that amount of bulk and warmth sitting on my lap. It fit well when I was using it in a seated position, but if I was lying on the couch or on the bed, it raised the laptop to an uncomfortable height. A few weeks ago, I found the Logitech 939-000091 Comfort Lapdesk, which is better than this Belkin CushTop in just about every way. It is much, much more comfortable on your lap, it has two functional orientations that you can use depending on your preferred keyboard slope, and it keeps your lap nice and cool due to the design. Anyway, this isn't a review of the Logitech so I'll keep it short other than to say that you should give the Logitech Comfort Lapdesk serious consideration if you're in the market for one of these guys. I would highly recommend using Road Tools 5871-POCP Podium CoolPad (Black) in conjunction with this item (or the Logitech pad) if you have a laptop that puts off a lot of heat (e.g., a MacBook Pro). Plus, the Road Tools 5871-POCP Podium CoolPad (Black) lets you customize your tilt exactly as you like it.Customer Review: comfy, not cool
Summary: 4 Stars
Essentially, this product does what it is supposed to, which is protect your lap/legs from the heat of your laptop while providing a comfortable solution for using your laptop around the house. the space in between is good for storing extra cables and or extra length to things you have plugged into your computer such as your headphones, mouse, etc. A full sized mouse will not fit inside, but i imagine a notebook mouse would. the open middle seems perfectly placed to allow for you to easily pick it up with while still grasping your laptop securely to move it from place to place; a very useful feature i had not thought about until after i had started using it.
I have a 17" laptop and the larger side fits it well without the computer hanging over the edge or anything, and puts the computer at a more comfortable level to look at and type on. The one thing I need to stress is that this will not keep your laptop itself cool, and with my computer it seems to get even hotter than with normal use based on the temperature readings. You are essentially using your computer on an elevated surface with no real ventilation, so i am planning on cutting a hole in mine leading to the open middle area allowing it to vent out the sides and hopefully keep the computer more cool. it seems odd they would design this thing with an open middle but not incorporate actual ventilation to it, but oh well. its a good product and worth the money i paid for it, and has made using my laptop around the apartment a lot more comfortable.
Customer Review: Perfect for my 15" MBP
Summary: 5 Stars
Several reviewers complained that this product doesn't support their 15" MacBook Pros, but I have nothing but love for my CushTop. The silver complements the steel design of my Mac perfectly. It is a few shades darker, which allows for much needed contrast (in fact it is the exact same shade as the dark gray trim on the MBPs).
The best part about this product is that it serves two purposes for me perfectly.
1. My office desk has one of those slide out keyboard trays. This allows me to keep my hands at comfortable positions, but I noticed that I was craning my neck to look down at the monitor. I wanted a cheaper solution than purchasing an external monitor. The CushTop raises the monitor 3-4" higher which makes a HUGE difference to my ergonomics.
2. MacBooks get HOT. I used to put a pillow under my computer, but that is dangerous because you are blocking the fan with such a rig. The CushTop gets the computer at the perfect height without obstructing the cooling system.
Two birds with one stone, my friends!
The quality seems to be top notch, however I haven't really had to test it much because in the year I've had it, it rarely moves more than 6' from my desk...
Customer Review: Might be good for some, but not for me
Summary: 3 Stars
It's an obviously high-quality product, and it positions the computer well when set on the lap. That said, I have a number of issues.
While the computer is in a nice position, it's still hard to use, because there's no place to rest your hands. This might depend on the model of laptop you have, but with a MacBook I wind up resting my hands on the edge of the computer, which is fairly sharp and uncomfortable.
Another possibly MacBook-specific complaint -- it's fairly slippery. The MacBook has little rubber feet to hold it in place, but the stand is soft enough that the feet can just sink into it, and the material isn't all that grippy in contact with rubber.
My main problem, though, is with the cooling aspect of it. While it does keep the computer off of my lap, its method seems to be more about insulating than dissipating. The result is (1) I'm not sure the computer is really any cooler, since the stand doesn't really draw heat away from it, and (2) I'm still hot, because the stand is insulating my lap and preventing my own body heat from dissipating.
Customer Review: Can be good or bad, depending on your notebook
Summary: 3 Stars
I have mixed feelings about this stand. I use this for my macbook pro and my acer netbook.
My macbook pro is pretty heavy and has no friction on the bottom, so it tends to slide off of the stand easily. Also the material of the stand acts like insulation, so it doesn't help with the heat. Turning the stand upside down doesn't help as the material is the same on both sides.
It's actually pretty useful for my netbook when I'm in bed. My netbook has rubber feet so there is a gap between the netbook and the stand, so the vents underneath the netbook can do their job. The rubber feet also help with keeping it on the stand. And since the netbook is so small, there's even space for me to use a usb mouse on the stand.
I don't use the hole in the middle to store power cords or mice or anything as the product description suggested. The cords and such just end up getting tangled in itself or sliding out the other side. I think it really depends on whether your notebook can sit on this stand properly that will make or break your vote on this product.