Customer Reviews

Targus PA248U Notebook Chill Pad

5 star:		(180)
4 star:		(136)
3 star:		(73)
2 star:		(94)
1 star:		(135)

 

 

I picked this model out because of all the good reviews, and for the most part they're true. The unit does a decent job of cooling my 15" powerbook. I grabbed a Chill Pad (why does typing that make me think of a House Party movie?) for my girlfriend's 15" VAIO, but it still runs a bit warm (but then, the Pentum in there runs much hotter than my G4, so maybe the Chill Pad just can't keep up). Either way, I wish the units were a little wider. In a perfect world, I wish the fans weren't placed in the middle of the slab, but more towards the back, where a laptop's CPU & video chips are located. This thing is plastic, so it won't dissapate the heat as well as an aluminum one will.

Originally I rated this puppy 4 stars. I'm taking it down to 3 now, because after some typical use over the past 6 months, both of our Chill Pads are pretty thrashed. The power cord on my girlfriend's unit is falling apart, mostly around the power switch box thingie (to use the technical term). As for mine, the screws holding the back together have cracked their casings, which were rattling around in my pad until I shook them out yesterday. So the back end of the unit no longer has a flush seam. Maybe some Krazy Glue will do the trick.

I didn't drop kick this thing around, pretty standard use: brought it to the office almost daily. Used it at home as well. Took it overseas once. I'll give it 4 stars for cooling, but I'm taking 1 away for workmanship.

I have owned many a laptop and several notebook cooling pads. Cooling can potentially improve a computer's performance and useful life.

This pad has decent performance. But, it is made from cheap plastic and has design short-comings. The product pictures, and price, make you think it is made from high grade plastic or metal. I feel for anybody who ever paid the list price of $30 for this product.

Reading the reviews for this product, I realized that several key elements of this product's construction were not being mentioned.

Pros
- The fans do seem to push a decent amount of air, more than other pads
- The rubber risers allow for better air-flow under your laptop

Cons

- This product is made from low grade plastic. It is flimsy under the weight of any standard laptop
- The rubber risers which seperate this product from your laptop will come out; They are not glued in
- The rubber feet on this pad will also come out
- The fans inside can be very loud
- The 2 fan heads are poorly positioned in the center of the pad
- The usb cable is too long

For the price there are simply better alternatives. The Antec notebook cooler has a more durable aluminum top, ergonomic shape, and more quiet design. The USB connector also has an extra port.
Antec USB-Powered Notebook Cooler

As long as you don't mind the defects, this can be a handy unit for a spare or travel needs. This cooler is still worth owning if you can buy it on sale for $11 or less. Don't pay more.

Happy Shopping.

After spending four months trying to get Dell's tech support people to simply acknowledge that the Inspiron 600m has a problem with overheating while playing hi-end 3-D graphics games, I took a gamble and bought the Targus PA248U Tornado Notebook Chill Pad. At first, it only helped to delay the problem -- the computer still overheated while playing games like "Warcraft III" or "Rise of Nations". The cooling fans on the chill pad were doing a good job of cooling the center of the notebook, but the back was still getting hot. I tried lifting the back on the notebook (by setting the backend of the notebook on two hi-lighters to lift it about 1/2 inch above the chill pad to improve the airflow) and that solved my problem.

My notebook is a Dell Inspiron 600m with the following configuration:
Pentium M 725 (1.6GHz, 2MB level 2 cache)
512MB DDR SDRAM (1 Dimm)
ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 w/ 64MB

When playing 3-D graphics games, the computer (especially the memory chip) would get very hot and the frame rate while playing the games would drop 95% (in one game, dropping from 60fps to 1-3fps). The computer never crashed, but it made game playing impossible. The Inspiron 600m is a thin notebook (1.29" thick), so it probably doesn't allow enough airflow to adequately cool off the components when pushed to their limit by a 3-D graphics game. Thank heavens companies like Targus are making products to address this issue.

Just as a note to Dell users, I talked to about a dozen different Dell tech support people over a four month period and no one would even admit to having heard about this problem. Apparently Dell has a policy of never admitting that a problem exists.

Cut to the chase and skip all the rest- A lovely multitasking convience product.
I have a 15 macbook pro and my lap was taking a lot of heat. Not to mention the funny angels you can get yourself into while reclining on your porch can be at best awkward for tying. The Coolpad has these simple lego style pieces that you build onto on another to raise your laptop in 1/2 inch increments up to 1 3/4 inches. (If you build fewer than 4 posts you can build it much higher but have fewer contacts touching you laptop) It seemed a bit silly all these lego pieces floating about, but after using them, I love it. It's so easy to adjust, so when you are at a table vs when you are lying on your belly you can have the height you desire. I hinted at it but let me say it clear- Yes, the Coolpad lets you use your laptop on a bed.
One last bonus for those of you living with children or someone prone to spilling drinks- your $$$$ piece of equipment is raisied off the surface it's on. That in itself is worth it to me!
The turntable feature is aslo a win. I was afraid it would lull about freely, but you have to exert a little (just enough) to turn it. I didn't think I need this ability at first but find everytime I want to show someone my screen I intuitvly use it. Whenever I begin to take this feature for granted I see someone else picking up their laptop to turn it and as they jarringly set their laptop down I cringe and appreciate my Coolpad for the nice piece of hard drive protection it is.
As for the airflow cooling aspect, well, I beat my mac with high processor programs, and yes the fan still kicks on, but I feel better knowing it has an easier time cooling off. There is no worry about the fans being blocked or struggling for air so to speak.
So,
* all ports are free
* laptop is at your desired typing angle
* you can turn your laptop about 360
* guaranteed an air buffer no matter where you set down
* liquid spill protection
* non slip rubber feet really hold laptop in place (I mean secure!)
I looked at every kind of portable stand for a week and finally, wearily, bought the Coolpad. I would buy it again in an instant, and will purchase several at Christmas time for all those I know who have admired, lusted and "borrowed" my Coolpad.

(It seems the portable lap desk and chill pad reviews are being mixed together -- this review refers to the chill pad.)

This chill pad seemed great at first: it fit nicely under my 12" display laptop (may not be adequate for very large notebooks), ran quietly, and kept the otherwise blazing-hot notebook running. I did use it constantly, but only around the house, so it sustained no additional wear from being carried around. Problem is, the thing only lasted 8-9 months, with full funtionality for only half of that. Fan power drastically decreased over time, with one fan hardly spinning at all by the end. The construction quality is just not very high.

Bottom line: there are MUCH better notebook coolers available, and you'll earn back the extra money when they don't fall apart. I recommend the Antec cooler I replaced this with -- unlike the chill pad, it features a metal surface to conduct heat, removable plug-through USB cord, cord storage on back of unit, two fan speeds, automatic shut-down when the computer is off, and moves so much air you might get chilly yourself just holding it. I know I sound like a salesperson, but I'm just so happy with the Antec over this Targus product that I want to save others the wasted time and effort in trying it.

I bought the Coolpad after reading the positive reviews here on Amazon.com, but am quite disappointed. My Fujitsu has vents both at the bottom and in the rear, so it doesn't overheat, but can get quite hot when I edit digital videos (a CPU- and hard drive-intense task). I bought the Coolpad hoping it would help cool down the laptop so the laptop's internal fan wouldn't have to work too hard.

To my disappointment there does not seem to be any cooling improvement whatsoever. If your laptop has vents only at the bottom and has no rubber feet, then this may help. Again, it's a strong "may" or "might," as in "perhaps," as acknowledged on the packaging. I suspect the Coolpad doesn't elevate the laptop high enough for the convection principle to work in reality.

On the plus side, the Coolpad does insulate your laptop from the desk surface, thus preserving your desktop as well as prevening spilled coffee from soaking up the bottom of your laptop computer. The upper metal plate also rotates, which is nice for showing others the screen or when you use the laptop while watching TV.

But, the Coolpad doesn't do its main job right, hence it's useless. If you want something that can really cool your laptop, look for a cheap product called "Bytecc Notebook Cooler" which has two built-in fans.

I think there's an error with Amazon confusing reviews of the Targus Chill Pad/Mat with the Coolpad. Therefore, this review is specifically for the CHILL PAD aka CHILL MAT.

I've had the CHILL PAD for a week now and it performs exactly as described. It has definitely reduced the heat that my Powerbook G4 releases by at least 10*F (estimation). Usually, I would just put my laptop on top of my pillow and then put them both over my lap because the heat is too unbearable for my legs. I know that is dangerous, but I didn't have a Chill Pad until a week ago. (PLEASE DON'T DO THIS AT HOME EITHER)

The Chill Pad comes in an aluminum colored, textured plastic. In other words, the pad is not smooth. The fans are placed on the top of the cooler in the middle so it doesn't really get in the way of my Powerbook G4's fans, which are on the sides. There's an on/off switch attached to the USB/Power adapter cord. The cord is short, so there isn't an extra long and annoying cord that you'd have to carry around. The Pad isn't too thick either. It is as thick as my laptop - about an inch in height.

Personally, I would like the Targus Chill Pad much better if there were a sign on the package that said "THIS CHILL PAD IS ONLY SUITABLE FOR 12" NOTEBOOKS; OTHERWISE, IT IS TOO SMALL FOR 15" NOTEBOOKS ESP. WITH WIDESCREEN". In addition, there's this warning smallprint that says "This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer, and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling." Okay so knowing that most laptop owners are usually on the go, why would you make a cooling Chill Pad that had dangerous chemicals including lead in it? Even though this Chill Pad has amazing potentials, there are plenty of NON-CARCINOGENIC notebook coolers out there that can perform just as well with a longer width. As a result, I'm returning my Chill Pad today.

The chill pad in the picture (silver rectangle) is NOT the model that's shipped today. The model pictured is the older model (item #21) and it was great. It was made of very sturdy plastic and VERY quietly cooled my laptop like a refrigerator. My only complaint with it was that the switch on the cable got broken.

The new ones have the exact same model number PA248U (only the new one is item #22) but is a brownish gray, curved like an hourglass, and the switch is on the pad not the cable. Targus was either dumb or deceptive on the model number. This model is a piece of junk: it apparently uses less rigid plastic, runs very loudly until the plastic heats up. Then the fans hit the inside of the housing and either quit working or make even louder scraping sounds. I bought two (thinking I was getting the original pads) and thought I'd try them out. Oddly, they both become defective right after the Amazon return date. Don't waste your money.

I've been through two of these chill pads in the last month. The reason is the power connector: it's at the back of the pad. If you ever use your laptop actually on your lap, for example sitting on a bed, you're going to keep bumping into that connector. The connector itself is cheap and doesn't fit well into the cooler's socket. The result is that it eventually breaks off and stops working. If you use your laptop anywhere other than on a desk, I would strongly recommend skipping this one and getting the Antec cooler instead: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000BVYTV

Its a rare day when Im willing to give something 5 stars. Today is one of 'em.

I have an Emachines laptop with a 15.4" widescreen and plenty of processing power. Meaning my laptop is about as wide as they come, and runs about as hot.

Summer just came round my neck of the woods, and in my hot little house, my hot little laptop couldnt hack it. I had it on a table, and by mid afternoon, it shut down. And wouldnt restart. The top was hot to the touch, and the bottom just as bad. So I got one of these Targus Chill Mats, figuring a couple little fans would help a bit.

They did more than help. Im convinced they saved the life of my laptop. My once hot-enough-to-fry-a-pie harddrive now tops out at a reasonable warm. Id say the air under my machine went from 95 to 60. Its not cool enough to refresh a beer, but its more than cool enough to allow my machine to stay on and operational all day.

At 11 3/4" by 9" its smaller than my laptop, but the feet on my machine still fit on it just fine. As I wouldnt expect Targus to make these in 3 sizes I think they chose a good route. Slightly smaller means itll fit nicely under any laptop, is more likely to fit in accessory pockets in bags (its only 1/2" thick), and leaves more room for the airflow you obviously need. So I cant fault it there.

Between my machines feet and the little rubber bumpers on the Mat, my machine is stable on it, and its stable on its own feet. I cant tell the difference between typing on it, or on a table. Despite the slightly smaller size.

Only having one little cable (which I keep bundled and twist-tied to the shortest length possible) running between the two is totally unobtrusive and easy to deal with. And dont even think about the sound. I honestly didnt even realise it was on at first.

The best $30 Ive spent on my computer in a long time. And spending that now sure saves the cost of replacing burnt out parts.


That was all written over two years ago. Here's an update:

After near constant use, my Targus died. It starting making lots of noise. And after careful deconstruction and dedusting, it was still noisy. So I replaced it [...].