overheating

I am doing a project for my engineering class in which I have to pick a problem, justify that the problem exists, and solve it. I picked overheating laptops and now I'm tring to justify it. I have prepared this surey to gauge the magnitude of the problem. If anyone could fill it out it would be very helpful. Also if you know any really good existing solution could you tell me so that I can look it up.

Please answer all applicable questions with “yes” or “no” or as
otherwise specified.


1. Do you own a laptop?___
2. If no, have you used a laptop? ____ <if no, end survey>
3. Do you use the laptop directly on your lap? ____
A. Was there pain or discomfort on your lap from the laptop? _____
-If yes, how severe? (1-10, 10 being excruciating) ____
4. Does your laptop heat up? ____
A. Did your laptop ever inexplicably shut down while hot? ____
B. Is your battery life significantly shorter then date of purchase? _____
-Is your laptop constantly plugged in? ____
-Have you noticed any smoke or odor or has your battery ever sparked, bubbled, ignited, expanded, contracted, or any unusual behavior? _____
C. Have you ever suffered data loss from unanticipated shutoff? _____
5. Has your laptop ever been damaged as a result of heat? ____
A. If yes, about how much? _____

My old Toshiba


1. y
2. n/a
3.y
A. Y
B. 5
4. y
A. y
B.y, n
5. Y
A. Motherboard was destroyed from poor air circulation....it would over heat when trying to burn cds plugged in on my desk...it was my last Toshiba..lol..went to Sony to Mac

My Old Toshiba:

1. Do you own a laptop? YES
2. If no, have you used a laptop? YES
3. Do you use the laptop directly on your lap? NO
A. Was there pain or discomfort on your lap from the laptop? NO
-If yes, how severe? (1-10, 10 being excruciating) ____
4. Does your laptop heat up? YES
A. Did your laptop ever inexplicably shut down while hot? YES
B. Is your battery life significantly shorter then date of purchase? YES
-Is your laptop constantly plugged in? YES
-Have you noticed any smoke or odor or has your battery ever sparked, bubbled, ignited, expanded, contracted, or any unusual behavior? NO
C. Have you ever suffered data loss from unanticipated shutoff? YES
5. Has your laptop ever been damaged as a result of heat? NO
A. If yes, about how much? _____

My Macbook

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
A. Sometimes
Pain: 3
4. Yes
A. No
B. Yes
Always Plugged in: No
Odors etc: No
C. Yes
5. No

My MacBook Pro

1. Yes
2. n/a
3. Yes
A. No
4. Yes
A. No
B. No
-No
-No
C. No
5. No
A. n/a

My new aluminum MacBook:
1. yes
2. yes
3. yes
a. no
4. yes
a. no
b. no (then again it's only a few weeks old)
c. no
5. no

1. Yes
2. N/A
3. Yes
A. No
4. Yes
A. No
B. No
no
no
C. no
5. no
A. N/A

1. Yes
2. n/a
3. yes
A. yes
pain: 2
4. Yes
A. no
B. no
-no
-no
C. no
5. no
A. n/a