Laptop overheats?

Hi,

I use my laptop - as a laptap i.e. its not placed on a desk but rather on my lap or cushion/sofa/bed etc. Anyway after a while the fan will come on and the underside gets really hot.

I've tried various things, placing it on a bit of wood, a tray, stacked the ends up so that air flows under it (not that its very stable - using it on my lap etc!)

Is there anything I can buy to put it on that will let the air circulate underneath it whilst I am using my laptop so that it doesn't boil and the fan isn't continuously on?

You could buy one of those cooling pads, which have fans that push more air through the laptop. But I've never seen one that plugs into a wall outlet. They all seem to plug into the laptop's USB port, which I assume means that the laptop is drawing more power and thus generating more heat.

Part of the reason why I bought an iMac is because my Windows laptop got too warm, to the point that it was aggravating to use. I'll never buy another laptop, Windows or Mac.

I think just a lap desk will work just fine. This would be a rigid surface with a pad on the bottom for your lap. The point is to get something flat and smooth so that the feet on the bottom of the notebook are all that make contact with the surface, allowing for better air flow beneath the machine.

Here is an example, but there are many others in different styles and configurations. Do a search for "lap desk" and you should find a number of different products.

Also bear in mind that your laptop is *not* overheating. If it were, it would shut down. In fact, it's working exactly the way it should - the fans are wicking away the heat and blowing it out the vents. So, unless you're uncomfortable with the heat, there's really no cause for concern.

Get smcFan Controller. Allows you to ramp up the fan speed whenever you want and set presets.

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/23049

I wouldt sit with a laptop on you lap for too long, its not good for your parts

I use a laptop cooling pad, but if you want to use it while on a sofa this proberly would not be very comfortable.