I was intrigued the other day to come across a laptop “ventilator” tablette (2300 revs / minute and 23.5 decibels) which is designed to evacuate the heat coming from your portable computer. What grabbed my attention initially, I must admit, was the transparent computer (trick photography of course to show the tablette).
Produced by Macally, the computer accessories company has created Ecofan and Ecofan Pro, which have the additional particularity of being made “eco friendly” by using bamboo and recycled PET in the outer packaging [I am not aware of any other eco-friendly claims though]. Weighing 1.3 kg, the Ecofan Pro allows for three different inclinations (as opposed to one standard inclination for the Ecofan) for better ergonomy. That’s it for the good news it seems to me.
What is the ecological benefit to evacuating the hot air from the laptop? None of the doc I read cites any benefit that speaks to me. What I really would have liked is a way to use my laptop on my lap without it burning a hole in my trousers (or feeling like it!). This Ecofan clearly does not accommodate that market requirement because of its design (it will not lie across your lap) and, more emphatically because it needs to be plugged in (the 1m USB chord means you need to be very close to the wall). Instead, I will continue to use a cushion and save the planet for what, to my view, is a waste of bamboo.
BTW, the Ecofan Pro is priced at 39.95 € in Europe or $39.95 in the US.
