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Should i get an iCurve?

daneoni

daneoni

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 24, 2006
12,012
1,906
I currently have my MBP placed on a stack of books but i've been told this is bad for heat dissipation. As a result, im considering getting a Griffin Elevator to use instead of the books and allow more airflow.

After all, laptops suffer more than desktops when it comes to heat. Just wondering if anyone uses this and what they think of it?
 
For the record, the iCurve and Elevator are two different products.

...But yes, I would get one of the two. They look much nicer than a pile of books. ;)
 
I'd say yes, get either one!

I have the iCurve and I use my MBP with a external keyboard and mouse.
It looks good and it saves my neck! (my neck'd hurt if I continue to look downward at the screen). :)
 
what about for heat reasons? my partner jsut bought a macbook, and am wondering about the same thing, she tells me that she much prefers the pile of books look, but i wonder if there are consequences in terms of heat.
 
AVID said:
what about for heat reasons? my partner jsut bought a macbook, and am wondering about the same thing, she tells me that she much prefers the pile of books look, but i wonder if there are consequences in terms of heat.
Click to expand...

There shouldn't be any problems as the MacBook has 4 little feet that allow some (albeit very little) airflow under the computer.

...But the MacBook will definitely run cooler if there is air circulating all around the computer.
 
I don't see that product helping that much more. If your MacBook's ventilation is anything like my MacBook Pro that is. There is only a wide vent on the back that stretches pretty much the whole width of the laptop minus like 2 inches, but when the lcd is up it covers the vent because its hinged on the back of the laptop. My MBP fav temps are from 56-74 degrees Celsius. When it got up to 80 I had to pull it off my lap. It was burning my skin. Maybe it's because I'm pushing it all the time running Parallels, but still the ventilation was rather poorly designed.
 
sotl said:
I don't see that product helping that much more. If your MacBook's ventilation is anything like my MacBook Pro that is. There is only a wide vent on the back that stretches pretty much the whole width of the laptop minus like 2 inches, but when the lcd is up it covers the vent because its hinged on the back of the laptop. My MBP fav temps are from 56-74 degrees Celsius. When it got up to 80 I had to pull it off my lap. It was burning my skin. Maybe it's because I'm pushing it all the time running Parallels, but still the ventilation was rather poorly designed.
Click to expand...
Actually, laptops are designed to disperse heat through the bottom and top - not just through the vent. Better airflow underneath the laptop will keep it cooler. So yes, this product would even help your MacBook Pro.
 
Yup - when I sit with my MBP on my lap it gets quite warm on the bottom, where as on my desk with a DVD on the back to tilt it up it never gets warm.

I'd use the iCurve but I'd want to use my laptop keyboard and it isn't very practical for that.
 
i bought the griffin elevator...the brushed aluminum is nicer looking, i think, than the clear icurve plastic. (not to mention that i think the icurve has been discontinued in lieu of the elevator)

it's helped temperatures go down by maybe an average of 5-7 degrees celsius. not too significant, but the main things that it has improved are a freed up desk-area, nicer aesthetics, and i like how it puts the display on an angle. i also route all my cables through the back of the elevator so that it doesn't look so messy.

i came from the pile of books solution to this, and it's nice, but i have to say that the price they charge is utterly outrageous (order from website, enormously bloated shipping costs + tax and conversion to canadian dollars). i will accept being ripped off in this case, however, because it think it is a positive addition to my workspace...i can't think of how it could really be improved (other than the goofy griffin logo on the plastic base)

i can send a picture of what the mbp looks like on the elevator in my case, if anyone's interested...just pm me.
 
EricNau said:
Actually, laptops are designed to disperse heat through the bottom and top - not just through the vent. Better airflow underneath the laptop will keep it cooler. So yes, this product would even help your MacBook Pro.
Click to expand...

Yes laptops are designed that way.. This one wasn't. I know side vents would hurt its uniform look, but they could have added at the least vents to the bottom as regular laptops have and preferably with fans, but we know space is limited. Or at least they could have not blocked the only vent they put in place with the screen. When I took the top cover off i noticed the speakers on the sides are actually really tiny and are higher up like where the power button is. You'd think heat could escape from the rest of those holes, but it doesn't. Poor design in ventilation keeps it hotter than it needs to be. The case shouldn't get hot enough to singe my skin or be really uncomfortable, but whatever.. I still enjoy using it.. on my desk :p
 
sotl said:
The case shouldn't get hot enough to singe my skin or be really uncomfortable, but whatever.. I still enjoy using it.. on my desk :p
Click to expand...
...You see, that is the key. The case is hot because it is drawing heat away from the internal components. In a way, the case acts as a giant heat-sink. The cooling system may be different, but it certainly isn't poorly designed.
 
i recently got the elevator thanks to the help of the boards and i just wanna say that it is reallly good.... and it fits the apple style too!
 
Ive got an icruve which i used with my macbook, along with keybaord and mouse. Now i have my macbook hooked up to an external display, but i still leave it on the icurve. Just allows air to circulate underneath it and its also easier to keep wires and stuff more organised
 
does anyone like the mStand?

mstand_back_macbookpro1.jpg
 
cmccarten said:
it's helped temperatures go down by maybe an average of 5-7 degrees celsius. not too significant, but the main things that it has improved are a freed up desk-area, nicer aesthetics, and i like how it puts the display on an angle. i also route all my cables through the back of the elevator so that it doesn't look so messy.
Click to expand...
I have experienced the same - temps are about 5-7 degrees lower with the elevator. I use it all the time and love it.
 
The mStand looks really good actually but it's backordered and there doesn't seem to be a UK purchasing option
 
If you're working a lot on it at a desk, I would get something that raises it. Will save your neck.
For heat dissipation I went to a DIY electronics store and bought some rubber feet and stuck them under my 12" PB. Raises it about 2-3 cm's of the desktop and allows a better airflow.
 
I have one of these at schoolKensington laptop USB hub stand and love it. It hides all my cords, allows for good cooling by providing plenty of space around it, covers the keyboard on the laptop so my desktop is cleaner looking, and even has a tilt and swivel feature. Its built in USB hub is handy as well. They have updated this I think so if you go to kensington's web site you can see a newly designed one.

I use the poor man's laptop riser at home though- just a 3" 3 ring binder. The binder material is thin enough to not restrict cooling (hasn't melted the plastic on me yet) and the binder is easy enough to move around, and I can still use the keyboard for web searches and quick emails. I wouldn't use it that way to do large amounts of typing but this binder riser allow me to have it at a good reading height while sitting at my kitchen table surfin and emailing!
 
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It's a good investment, also consider if u plan to buy a desktop (iMac,Mac Pro) in the future, because since I bought mine, my iCurve use has been non-existant.
 
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