Cigarettes have warning labels, why not your portable computer: "using this laptop computer may be harmful to your health."
Laptops can hurt you. They generate enough heat to burn. Their keyboards cause hands and shoulders to ache. Screens tilted at an awkward angle or positioned too far away cause eye strain. Face it: Your laptop can literally become a pain in the neck. Fortunately, minimizing these dangers is easy and inexpensive.
If ever a product was misnamed, it's the laptop computer. They're really meant for a desktop, but they're frequently found on our laps – a place they never were intended to be. Aside from the risks caused by heat, this awkward, unstable arrangement is a sure recipe for disaster.
We all see travelers in an airport terminal, legs squeezed together with a computer perched on top. A sheaf of papers and cup of hot coffee are usually within arm's reach. And you know what happens next. The coffee spills, papers go flying, and the computer crashes to the floor. It happens often: According to IDC, 64 percent of damage to laptop computers is caused by drops with a repair bill of more than $1,000 per incident. Even worse is the cost of losing documents that exist only on the laptop's hard drive. Sitting in an airport a thousand miles from home with a broken computer is no way to conduct business.
The fix is simple: put the computer on a slim, durable, and portable non-slip work surface. You might still spill your coffee, but your computer won't crash to the floor.
Laptops generate tremendous heat. That's not good for the computer and it's downright dangerous to you. As its metal chassis gets hot, heat is conducted downward, onto your legs or desktop.
How dangerous is it? Engineering professors at California State Polytechnic University measured the peak temperature on the underside of a typical laptop computer at a whopping 139.8° Fahrenheit, more than enough to sustain a third-degree burn after just 30 seconds. Even with your slacks or skirt in between, the threat of a serious burn is still very real. But raise the laptop by just a half inch and the danger disappears. On your desktop there's no danger of burnt skin, but placing your computer directly on that flat surface not only reduces its ability to dissipate heat (shortening its lifespan), but also makes it unnatural to type.
The Laptop Desk® solves these problems. On your lap, it's a stable, non-slip work surface nearly 21" wide that provides plenty of ventilation and even room for a mouse. On your desk, it raises the computer to comfortable typing angles.
Just 5/8" thick, the Laptop Desk is precision-engineered from the same strong polycarbonate used to make football helmets. Rubber strips molded into the top and bottom surfaces provide plenty of non-slip traction for the computer on one side and your lap on the other. And it folds to a compact size small enough to fit in just about any computer carrying case.
Protecting your computer is just half the story. Minimizing fatigue and avoiding sore shoulders and hands is equally important. That's why certified industrial ergonomist Sally Longyear uses the Laptop Desk when demonstrating correct laptop-computing posture. "Users should choose a work platform that spans their entire lap so they can relax their knees instead of squeezing them together to balance a laptop," she says. "This minimizes strain on the shoulders, neck, back and arms."
With its rubber-topped ridges and wide channels, the Laptop Desk provides ventilation for even the hottest-running computer. In fact, those same professors found that the computer's hot spot dropped by more than 13° F with the Laptop Desk. At last, you can sit in an airport, have a steady work surface, and keep your computer ventilated and your legs cool.
On your desk, you use the Laptop Desk to raise the computer and tilt the keyboard to a comfortable typing angle. Why bother? You'll reduce shoulder and neck strain and minimize wrist aches. The computer benefits, too: raised from direct contact with the desktop, it gets plenty of ventilation.
Laptop users no longer need to trade suffering for portability. With the Laptop Desk, burning legs and aching necks can become history. Your computer is less likely to fall and break. And with overheating reduced, your computer's lifespan can be extended.
The Laptop Desk from LapWorks, it's the best way to assure your comfort and your computer's safety.