By: Herbert Lui
July 12, 2008
I'm not going to lie -- I'm a huge fan of plugging external peripherals into my laptop. Mock me all you want; but because nowadays laptops are so friendly with USB-mice (not so much PS/2 products), external speakers, mics, and even webcams, I feel obligated to take advantage. If you question my allegiance to external mice, I will proudly say that I have yet to use the touchpad at home, with the exception of the first time I set eyes on my Dell Inspiron 6400 to make sure it actually worked. In fact, there's a thin layer of dust collecting upon the keyboard and touchpad because of my external keyboard and mouse -- both of which I find to be more ergonomically-friendly. Why is it, then, that when we're on-the-go, our laptop coolers don't offer the support for our mice? I think it's a travesty that we are forced to use the touchpad and not a mouse -- especially if we brought one along for the purpose of using it. No worries though -- LapLogic took into consideration the mouse and conceived the W800 Aerogel Extreme. Using similar technology to the LapLogic G800 Aerogel Extreme, it's got an extra portion just for the mouse to rest on. Is it a step forward, or does it force you to take two steps back?
Anticipation crept up on me, as I finally picked up the parcel, delivered by United States Postal Service, at my own local post office here in Canada. I personally thought the package carrying the LapLogic G800 Aerogel Extreme and LapLogic W800 Aerogel Extreme resembled a pillow, but it certainly didn't feel like one. I lugged it home, and then carefully slit it open with my handy dandy exacto knife. Scissors are for pansies (Just kidding). I found the bubble wrap on the inside to be great fun -- it was a while before I realized I wasn't four anymore, but by then, I had popped nearly half of the bubble wraps. Ouch.
The two LapDesks (LapLogic refers to the W800 and G800 as this) came housed individually in their own plastic bags. Think Ziploc, but on a grander scale. The LapDesks were in perfect condition thanks to careful handling and the bubble wrapped-packaging. Lovely!
No cords, no pamphlets, no retail packaging. I'm actually pretty relieved -- I've seen enough products come with so many strings attached that I enjoy the simplicity (although there might be pamphlets or promos that come with the actual retail packages).
Let's put it this way -- aesthetically, the product is pretty darn unique. I try not to judge a book by its cover, but it looked pretty out of this world. I haven't seen much of the material before -- sure, there was canvas, Velcro and clear plastic on one side, but the other had a weird sticky texture and some weird thing that looked shiny. Oh, and a near-half dedicated just for mouse usage. Sounds sweet! Here are the official dimensions to the LapLogic W800 Aerogel Extreme:
Heat Protection: up to 99.9% reduction
Size: 11"h x 20"w x 1"t
Weight: 26 oz.
Insulating Material: Aerogel
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look
3. Usage, Testing, Conclusion
