Road Tools CoolPad/CoolPad Podium Review
Recently a person in the family purchased a Compaq Presario 1500 series notebook and it is was somewhat quite hot during long periods of time. Therefore, I was on the hunt for a solution that could help solve that problem.
Today we look at the Road Tools CoolPad and CoolPad Podium products that look to help users with hot notebooks.
Notebooks are very small and notebooks are getting faster and faster each year. These result in the components inside the notebook becoming hot because of the small area a notebook enclosure provides. In this case, the Compaq notebook has heat coming out of two areas, the side and the bottom. However most if not all of us situate our notebooks on the table and/or flat surface. To keep notebooks running cooler we should actually have them sitting on a position where heat may dissipate away, thus providing a more stable system.
Pictured on left is the CoolPad Podium and right is the CoolPad
Here we have the two products we are looking at today. The CoolPad pictured on the right is a smaller portable version of the Podium (left).
What is unique between both units is the ability to swivel 360 degrees. How this works is that there are actually two separate pads layered on top of each other via a Teflon turning mechanism in the middle so that you can easily turn the unit. Let's take a look.
Both units utilize a textured surface. They have also rubber feet's at the bottom so that your laptop does not fly off.
What is unique about the CoolPad Podium unit are that they come with Lego look-a-like stand that can be removed so you can find your preferable height adjustment. These Lego-like pieces have rubber on the top to prevent slippage. The CoolPad on the other hand has pre-applied stands. They are rather short in my opinion.
Testing
Usually when I used the laptop on a flat surface, and an hour later when I lift the laptop to feel the bottom, it becomes really warm.
Using the CoolPad, helped heat from the bottom to dissipate away much better. However, I would liked the stands to be a little higher than it is.
That is where the CoolPad Podium comes in. It had much better use of height adjustment which allowed more heat to escape. The swivel options is a good feature for presentations and such.
Here are some photos of what both products look like with the notebook.
CoolPad Swivel left
CoolPad Height
CoolPad Podium Swivel left
CoolPad Podium Height
CoolPad Podium Height Varies
Conclusion
The CoolPad and CoolPad Podium are two unique products. They do what they advertise and help in making notebooks cooler. However their are some downfalls. During testing, when you use both unit's with your notebook on your lap, it is not stable I don't recommend you putting it on your lap. The notebook itself on my lap was more stable.
Also, to dissipate heat much quicker there should be some type of fan blowing away hot air, but that's a different concept.
What I did like was the 360 degree swivel feature of both pads. That is a great idea for people who need to use their laptop for presentations, etc.
The swivel feature was also smooth and quiet when actually turning it.
The CoolPad is for traveling purposes and the CoolPad Podium is for everyday use.
Overall, I am excited in giving both units a..
8/10!
Pros & Cons
+
Dissipates heat
+ Swivels with ease
+ CoolPad is portable
- More clearance on CoolPad
- An exhaust fan for extreme cooling wouldn't hurt to dissipate even
more heat
Let me thank Jim from Road Tools for sending these to review. You may visit http://www.roadtools.com/ for more information on the products and purchasing inquires. If you purchase one, tell them Modsynergy.com sent ye!
