Microsoft Blows Hot Air over Cooling Laptops

The company's Notebook Cooling Base keeps notebooks cooler during extended use with an elevated base and internal fan.

Notebook coolers have come a long way from the cobbled-together fixes that manufacturers wouldn’t even admit you needed to remedy the shoddy cooling on their products – now even Microsoft is on the game. The company announced its very first such product, the Notebook Cooling Base, on Tuesday.

Much like previous designs from other companies, Microsoft’s stand raises the rear of the notebook to prevent heat from being trapped underneath – a common problem when laptops with bottom-blowing fans are placed on a solid surface. A single fan in the middle keeps heat blowing away from the laptop. The 1.16-inch-thick pad can be used either on a desk or lap (due to contours in the bottom) and taps a notebook’s USB plug for power, rather than a wall outlet or separate battery.

Microsoft will add the Notebook Cooling Base to its existing line of notebook accessories in July, priced at $30.  It will be available in both white and black.