Introduction

Being the resident laptop guy here at Neoseeker, and being on my third model in the time since I've started working here, it only seemed to make sense that when Cooler Master contacted us about a laptop cooler that I'd be the person to take a look at it.

All jokes about the MacBook Pro and its manhood-searing heat aside (it's really been blown out of proportion), it has been deemed a good candidate to test with by my fellow lab trolls because of its relative age and limited heat dissipation abilities. What can Cooler Master's NotePal P1 do about this?

I've never taken a second glance at laptop coolers before this, but perhaps I'll be surprised. Let's take a closer look at the NotePal P1 itself.

A Closer Look at the NotePal P1

Imagine my astonishment when, upon unpacking the NotePal P1, I pulled out something that was half the size of my laptop, having expected something that would be the same size! You really have to see this thing in person to appreciate its compact size, but comparison photos are the next best thing.

The NotePal P1 sports a rather simple and very attractive design, and I dare say that it goes rather well with the MacBook Pro. A curved, brushed aluminum slab with touches of black along the sides makes for a look that will appeal to any fan of minimalist design.

The operational concept behind the NotePal is as simple as its design: Two fans suck fresh air in from the bottom and rear of the NotePal, and then blow that air up against the bottom of your laptop as it rests on the NotePal. Rubber grips around the fans serve to keep your laptop from sliding off.

Power is provided through one of your laptop's USB ports. Cooler Master supplies a USB A-to-A cable for the connection, as well as an additional USB port on the NotePal itself, so that you don't end up "losing" one of your laptop's valuable USB ports. The power switch for the fans is cleverly concealed -- the convex silver button on the right side is the switch, while the same item on the left is merely a fixed decoration.

The entire contraption feels very solidly-built, right down to the non-cheap plastic underside. Oh, speaking of the underside ... there's a handy little compartment there for the USB cable when it's not in use. All in all, everything seems well -- right?

Unfortunately not.

Ironically enough, the design of the NotePal P1 is also its downfall. Laptops are flat on the bottom, while the NotePal is curved ... uh-oh. As you can probably imagine, there isn't any wide-spread physical contact between the laptop and the NotePal, and this leads to some awkward shifting-around as you move your hands from the keyboard to the trackpad -- unless you place the laptop at just the right angle so that the rubber grips around the fans provide some friction.

The second qualm I have with the NotePal is the potential for scratching of the underside of your laptop. The raised portions of the top surface of the NotePal have rather sharp edges, and these edges could potential scratch up the bottom of a laptop that is resting on them, especially if it shifts around. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like the idea of an expensive laptop being scratched up by the decorative edge of a relatively low-cost cooling device.

So far it's a tie between aesthetics and function. Cooling performance is either going to make or break the deal -- so let's check it out.