Product Description

The Targus Netbook Chill Mat features two fans that generate cool air to keep the netbook running efficiently and to help prevent overheating. The Chill Mat can be also used in the office to protect furniture from heat damage, or on the go to protect your lap from heat. Rubber grips keep your netbook in place to provide a sturdy workspace. The device plugs directly into the USB port so no additional power is required.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3264 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: Gray
• Brand: Targus
• Model: AWE39US
• Dimensions: 1.00" h x 9.19" w x 11.60" l, .85 pounds

Features

• Designed to support up to 10.2 inch netbooks
• Rubber grips hold netbook in place; Chill Mat protects your lap or workspace
• Powered through the USB port; no AC adapter required
• RoHS Compliant

Customer Reviews

No More Overheating
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.

Exactly what I wanted.
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.

Barely Cools, but Easy to Use
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.