Macally makes stands for almost all of your needs. The Bamboo Cooling Stand maybe one of the best and most versatile stands that they offer. The large surface fits all laptop sizes. I have a 17 inch Macbook Pro and it was a perfect fit. It wasn't just a perfect fit, it was a very sturdy stand with the legs tucked in as well as fully extended. To go along with that snug fit, the rubber stoppers really support the laptop with the legs extended. Its not like the laptop stand is supposed to support the laptop while it bounces around or suspends in mid air, but it is calming to place your couple thousand dollar investment on something like this.
The biggest, literally and figuratively, for this item is its namesake, the fan. The large fan seems like it would sound like a propeller in a crop duster, but it makes virtually NO sound. Its amazing how quiet the fan is. But, but, but, the trade of their is a questionable cooling. This is where things get a little difficult to judge. Fans are supposed to keep the computer cool, but how do you tell if it has done its job enough.
Should the laptop feel cold or cool or what? Should it just keep the computer on and from overheating. Do newer and more well ventilated computers even need one? Is it a precautionary thing for piece of mind? Some of the other fans that we have used, namely a Belkin model, made the laptop feel noticeably cold to the touch, but the noise could be unbearable at times. I will say this, I do a lot of intensive things with the computer, video editing etc... and the computer doesn't feel overly hot, its not cold, but its not overheated. So I guess, mission accomplished.
As an added bonus, to make sure it doesn't bog down one of your USB slots, Macally added a female USB to the end of the connection. Its not a strong one, but its perfect for USB mice and keyboards. The connection seemed loose and would often disconnect when slightly hit while unplugging other devices.
GRADE:
B