Customer Reviews

Targus Chill Mat for 10.2 Inch Netbooks (Gray) AWE39US

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

PROS: Sturdy, easy to use, hasn't crapped out yet (after a month of continuous use).
CONS: About as useful as a tick on a dog's butt. Doesn't cool worth crap.
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Got mine at [...], but writing review here to help others avoid this junk.

Ease-of-use is 5 stars, because you just plug it into your netbook and you're set. The cord is short enough so you're not fumbling over it. The pad is sturdy, and the rubber grips on it keep it in place on a table while the grips on top keep your netbook in place. If that's all that mattered, then this would be a 5-star device.

But the purpose of this device is to COOL YOUR NETBOOK. It fails miserably at this task. The fans are small, quiet, and DON'T MOVE ENOUGH AIR to make an appreciable difference. I got this chillmat to use as part of an ad-hoc docking station for my lenovo netbook since they're known for running a bit hot. To put the netbook to use when I'm not on it, I set it up to crunch BOINC projects for World Community Grid. So, the CPU is maxed out at 100% all the time. The chillmat was to help offload some of the burden from the built-in fan on the netbook to help maintain a cool temperature.

My netbook (lenovo s10 ideapad) uses an Intel Atom 1.6ghz N270. Normal operating temp (idle) is ~40C. When under 100% load (EG: crunching BOINC projects), it can get between 50-60C. Critical temp for the Atom is 90C.

Idle CPU Temp ...

* With Mat = ~40C
* W/o Mat = ~42C

100% CPU Temp...

* With Mat = ~50C
* W/o Mat = ~52C

Lowering the temp by a mere 2 degrees Celcius, whether idle or running full load, does not justify buying this product. Good cooling mats generally lower temps by 10-15C. This mat flat-out sucks. However, I've learned to expect such from Targus over time. They generally crank out cheap-o crap that either dies quickly or under-performs. They're sort of the "puppy mill" of computer accessory companies. I've learned to just avoid Targus, but gave them one more shot since this was the only netbook cooling mat I could find at Fry's. Not sure why I was surprised to notice it sucks. Mostly just miffed that I wasted money on their junk again, and am still realizing it's just junk. Save your money and go get a different product that can actually do the job it's supposed to do.

I was having overheating problems with my netbook, so I looked into buying the Targus Chill Mat. After finally deciding I'd give it a shot, I ordered it and it works really well. It fits the base of my netbook almost exactly, and is lightweight enough to be carried everywhere I bring my netbook. The two fans are very quiet and make no more noise than the computer itself. It has a simple enough setup to be connected to my netbook 24/7, and whereas before I had to keep my netbook off of anything that was not a tile, marble, or wood surface to avoid overheating, I can now set it straight on my bed with no fear of crashing. Even better, the fan runs off of your computer's power without compromising battery life in the least.
The only problems with the product are minor - because of it's light weight, it appears and feels cheap, although it certainly is not that way. Any pressure on the fans causes them to press against the frame and make a slight buzzing noise, so you have to be careful when you grab it.
Overall a wonderful product for anyone who has overheating concerns or wants a cool layer between their lap and their netbook.

My take:
-thin, light, cheap, cools fine, quiet, low power draw.
-I took off the memory door on my computer to enhance cooling.
-quieter than other coolers I have owned, you can barely hear it.
-Battery life drop is pleasingly small, from 6 to 5 hours usable.
-Fan intakes are on the bottom (blows upwards), not so hot for a bed.
-Fits in my targus netbook case along with my ASUS EEE PC.
-No ball bearing fans, other similar coolers I have owned die after
9 months at 8 hours a day, I expect similar lifespan here.
-It has special fans to make it thin, but I wish it was even thinner.

Overall, unless I could find something more compact, I would
buy this one again.

This is the worst cooling pad I've ever purchased. I bought it to use with my Lenovo x61--a small cooling pad for a small laptop--and the size is right (this cooling pad is about a centimeter smaller than the base of the laptop on all sides, without the docking station). However, it's almost completely ineffective. The temperature difference between when the laptop was running and when it wasn't was practically imperceptible. I had to buy a larger cooling pad that is actually capable of doing the job. Don't buy this.

I purchased this from Wal-Mart for 25 bucks in Jan. of this year. It went out in March. I sent it back to the company (at my expense of course) and they sent me another within a week. Well that one just went out yesterday. I don't know if it's because they are poorly manufactured or if 2 months is how long the fans are supposed to last. Either way, this one isn't worth the money.

I am using this chill mat with a Toshiba NB305-410BL netbook. The mat is terrific! My netbook always ran hot (the bottom of the computer) until I put this mat under it. Now, the bottom of my netbook isn't even warm to the touch even after using the netbook for hours. In the manual, it suggests not putting the netbook on carpet or one's lap because of the air vent on the bottom of the netbook - no problem doing either if you use the chill mat - another good use for the mat even if you are not crazy about the mat's fans.

The product lasted 9 months before one of the 2 fans just stopped working. It is a decent product for the price...just wish it had lasted longer.

While it worked, it seemed to work well but the power to USB cord's outer casing pulled away from the plug almost immediately. After a while, it would only intermittently receive power and finally it gave up the ghost. While the user was my teenage son, which means that mishandling cannot be ruled out, he has managed to keep his netbook intact and the feel of the device and cord, to my mind, was not solid out of the box.

This chill mat is great. I purchased one for a 10.2 inch netbook I am giving my granddaughter for her birthday. I knew it is important to keep the computer cool in order to extend the life of the components in it. So, before ever giving her the netbook, I included this as part of the gift. It is absolutely great. Not only does it fit the netbook, but it works great. I then purchased 2 more of these since I also have the same netbooks for 2 other granddaughters for Christmas. I also purchased cases for the netbooks which are sized for the 10.2 inch netbooks. The netbooks AND the chill mat slide into the case perfectly so they always have their chill mats with them. The unit plugs into the USB port so there's no electrical outlets required. Totally portable, totally awesome!

Out of the box, this devise seemed to work well. We planned on using this cooling mat while we traveled in Europe. It worked for two days and completely stopped working. We were very disappointed.