Laptop that actually lap-able

Its funny when I bought new laptop I supposed it should be lap-able (hence the name) but from my experience its just horrible, but I only use few 14" laptop, maybe that's the problem?

The worst I experienced is A42Je. Pretty modest spec; Pentium P6100 (2GHz) with HD 5470 512MB DDR3 (not switchable).The harddisk is the hottest part of the laptop! Reaching 55C at load and 45-48C idle it really roasting, with nearly zero ventilation is the most horrible laptop to put on my lap. And this is with forced low power all round (CPU power is capped at minimum multiplier, GPU and wireless is left at max power saving as well)

I'm thinking of buying the new Acer Aspire One 522 in hoping it will be lap-able but still packing enough punch for day to day usage. Apart from this and Atom based netbook is there any other laptop (maybe larger, something like 13.3" or 14") that lap-able? I want to hear you guys experience

 

Well that's probably why they're mostly called notebooks instead of laptops lol but have you seen the Vaio S? It's pretty much lap-able at 4lb and not much heat unless you get the video card, which IMO is usually the hottest part of notebooks but since it's inside and you can't touch it, many people don't realize it.

 

My Sony Vaio CW is very lap-able. 14", 1600x900. It runs very cool, ever while gaming. While gaming, my GPU hits 65C, CPU 70C, and HDD 35C.

Here's after I think 30 minutes of Call Of Duty Black ops or Just Cause 2:

 

VAIO's eh? That is a very good temperature, more surprising that it even got dedicated GPU. Too bad they too expensive for to bought one I wonder how can ASUS design laptop to burn lap even with low end hardware. I hate when buying cheap laptop, you end up sacrifice more than just performance

 

You can get new, open box for $550. But its the slightly lower end model, with Nvidia 310m, i3, and 720p screen: SONY VAIO CW SERIES VPC-CW2HGX/B LAPTOP- CORE i3- CAMER - eBay (item 250781761729 end time Mar-31-11 08:18:20 PDT)

 

The price is just right, but it ships in USA and Canada only. Bugger. But I'm not fancy buying online anyway. Is there any other manufacturer that sell cool surface laptops apart from Sony?

 

-> Sony SZ is also very usable on your lap.

There are 2 main issues:
1) some laptops will have a bad HDD ventilation, that's a major design flaw
2) dedicated GPUs of any sort are always hot - if you want something cool, use an Intel GPU

 

My 1810T is absolutely usable on the lap without problems for my future plans for a family...I would however never use anything bigger and hotter on my lap...it can cause irreversible damage to your delicate parts if you are male.

 

A Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge(no discrete GPU) machine with an SSD should be very lapable.

 

Keep it closer to your knees then your balls he he ..

And the heat problem sux even more if you got a business model with full metal casing ...

No clue why no1 come up with a plastic thermal bottom plating to laptops yet.
Basically a 10"-17" thin solid plastic bottom/top with isolation in middle and custom rubber feet with glue attaching to the laptop bottom and keep a bit space for air movement, this could act as radiation shield too ...

ps.: my asus 1005pe with atom blows 50-60C air out .. atom runs hot.

 

Despite having an i7 quad and discrete GPU, the laptop in my sig manages not to burn my balls. My old Acer netbook did get hot, though.

 

My T400 with integrated graphics doesn't even get warm on the bottom, much less hot. Heat is of no issue at all. It's radiation I worry about. Days and days, weeks and weeks, of EMF and wireless radiation sitting right on top of sensitive tissues.

 

You got a point there Flyright.

I thinking of buying old stock but brand new and cheap Acer Aspire 3810T for just simple browsing, Office work and maybe old games (Red Alert 2, GTA San Andreas, Call of Duty 1) Do you think this laptop would be suffice without being too hot? I found that the new AMD Fusion is good, but 10-11" is too small for my liking, and 14" is too big, I look for compromise between the two

 

Even with the dedicated GPU the S remains absolutely cool and lap-able.
But generally - yes - laptops without dedicated GPUs run cooler.

Also laptops with plastic bases are warmer and so on...

 

Radiation is what you are worried about?

So you don't own a cell phone or never use it?
You don't have microwave?
No TV?
NO Wireless routers around in the building?
No GSM and 3G antennas located close to where you live?
No radio signal?

You must be living somewhere in the mountains than, where do you get electricity from....!?

 

The issue with laptops is that they are mostly referred to as such (and as notebooks) due to their portability.

They were't really meant to be used on an actual lap.
Why?
Because for the most part, laptops have exhaust vents on the bottom and sides.
If those vents are obstructed, the temperature inside the machine will of course go up by at least 10 degrees (never-mind what happens when you actually use them in such circumstances under load).

The point is that you should keep a laptop on a flat surface.
You can still have it on your bed by putting a flat board beneath the laptop itself for example in order to allow for regular air flow.
But I would abstain from actually using the laptop on your lap.
Radiation (while indeed a worrying factor when you have a direct close exposure from the source on a continuing basis) is a relatively minor problem.
The heat being produced by the laptop would be a bit more worrying.

Gracy 123

While I will agree with the fact that we are exposed quite often to radiation one way or the other...
I for example rarely use my cell-phone, do not watch TV or have a microwave.
So I do think that the amount of this radiation will be at least somewhat lower when compared to someone who uses ALL of those appliances on a regular basis.

You cannot completely avoid radiation exposure, but you CAN reduce it.

 

You are not serious, are you?
I wouldn't be able to live without a cell phone and microwave at least! How do you warm up your breakfast !??

Anyway how much longer do you think you will live when not using a microwave and cell phone!? A day? A week? 3 months!? And yet you loose all that time trying to avoid radiation - so you sell your youth to buy some time in your retired years!?

Sorry this is paranoia. You can't avoid living in the 21st century, unless you go live on an island in the pacific ocean and even then not fully.


...And his watch is still emitting radiation!

 

And the camera that took the picture

 

I have a Studio 1557 and I use it on my lap all the time and its considered one of the hottest lappers ever made.

Grant it only last about a hour and a half on battery


It gets warm but not hot.... tolerable.

 

Lol...
I have to ask you now... are YOU serious?
Have you even read what I wrote?

Let me clarify something (in hope you will actually comprehend this time)... I cook my own food, and microwaved meals generally end up with lower quality compared to actually cooked meals (besides, I enjoy cooking and using the oven that is large enough for proper meals).
For breakfast my dear, I usually drink probiotic yogurts and eat some bread, or I make myself scrambled eggs with mushrooms (again with some bread), or just make a sandwich (without heating it up or whatever).

I actually don't HAVE a microwave (had it some time ago, but it broke down and decided it wasn't worth the trouble).
I DO live in the 21st century, I just don't eat like most people do and slowly destroy the flora and fauna of the gut and bring down my immune system in the process.
But that's not relevant to this topic. ;-)

I said I don't own a TV or a microwave.
The TV I stopped watching over 7 years ago as I find it's contents stupid and most of the stuff I need, I can have online.
The microwave I don't have for, well, the aforementioned reasons.

I do have a cell-phone... but I use it when needed.
Why the heck would I keep it next to me at all times unless I'm out and about?
If I'm in the house, I'll leave it one place, and if someone gives me a ring, I'll hear it and answer it.

As I said... with the world we live in, it's not entirely possible to avoid exposure to radiation, but one can still reduce it (never mind the fact the manufacturers of technology can shield us from radiation exposure... but investment in such a move would be 'costly').
If you're eager enough to fill your life with useless things for 'bragging' rights or just because you're a consumer, go right ahead.
I generally get what I need... I still live in the 21st century and get with the times.

 

Light is part of the eloctromagnetic spectrum, do you avoid light?

 

A microwave oven leaking radiation is damaged and should be fixed as soon as possible.
Normally, a security mechanism prevents a microwave oven from being powered on if there is something wrong with the shielding.

Ask the Australians.
What about X-Rays or Gamma Rays then?

Radiation is not all equal.
It depends on the quantum energy (which is proportional to the frequency), on the intensity and on the distance from the radiation source.
Radiation has impact on biological matter, the severity of that impact depends on the parameters above.


Michael

 

My guess is that this way you reduce radiation with about 0,001 to 0,01 % of all that surrounds you. And do you calculate the time you lose this way? Do you never heat up a meal?

Do you have any clue how many cellular networking antennas surround your home? Let me give you a clue - multiply the number of network operators available in your city by about 6 if you live in an average to big city or by 2 or 3 for smaller cities. Now multiply that by about 50dB. which are having effect on you no matter if you use a cell phone or not! Now add TV and Radio signal as well as other radio signals. Don't forget all WLAN routers in range of 100m.

This is our world - we created it and can never escape it! Live in it is all you can do.

Yep. And if you suspect that every microwave emits radiation you need to have a serious discussion with Faraday

 

I hadn't said exposure to radiation can be avoided.
I said it can be reduced.
Of course I heat my meals up from time to time... I just don't need a microwave to do it.

JKleiss
If that comment was directed at me, then I will have to say, 'no', I do not avoid light.
But as michael_recycled already nicely mentioned, not all radiation is equal, plus your exposure will vary on how close to the source you are and how intense the source is.

Some people really have a knack for intentionally mucking things up so they can justify their point of view, disregarding a variety of factors and parameters that come into play which also have an impact on the whole picture.

But to get back at the topic at hand...
In terms of finding a laptop that is more lap-able... we need to know what you consider by 'lap-able'.

As I said, if you will be obstructing the air-vents of any laptop, chances are you will increase heat production by at least 10 degrees C.
Also, when you take into account relatively poor cooling system in laptops, suppressing the air-vents is not a good idea.
Keeping the laptop in your lap depends on it's cooling systems (and overall design to keep the heat away) and obstruction of air-vents - at least in regards to the laptops health... and for your healt - well, one has to ask how well do your and testicles (not to mention leg muscles) handle concentrated heat emissions?

 

Actually, every microwave does emit radiation
-> The "window" with the wire mesh isn't 100% "electromagnetic radiation tight", however, the amount of electromagnetic radiation that can' escape' or rather is emitted is insignificant.

Additionally, the strength falls off very quickly with distance. -> I think it might be proportional to a square, or square root, something like that.

 

So what can we deduce from all of this? Laptop radiates more than just heat to our gentlemen part?

I just bought new Acer Aspire 4743ZG, its very lap-able and cool running when I'm browsing, thanks to Nvidia Optimus switching to Intel HD when not doing any work

 

I've been using my laptops on my lap since I got my first one (Toshiba 386 in about 1993, fact fans), and as far as I know all my gentlemen's equipment is still functional!

Side note: microwaves are rubbish. I use mine about three times a year, when I forget to take stuff out of the freezer to defrost soon enough.

Inverse-square law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia