The most recent articles from Computeract!ve

Review: Amps Lapgard lap protector

Tim Smith — 2008-02-07T00:00:00.000Z

Tim Smith, Computeract!ve, Thursday 7 February 2008 at 00:00:00

Protect yourself from the heat of a notebook

It's not just weight that can make it uncomfortable to use a notebook on the lap . Heat is also a problem and, in extreme cases, can actually lead to injury. The LapGard offers protection from both heat and wireless signals, while distributing the weight as evenly as possible.

It provides a flat surface on the user's lap, easing the weight of the notebook as much as possible but comes with a adjustable rest to position the notebook at a slight angle, allowing air to circulate around the underside. This not only helps prevent the heat from spreading down, but keeps the notebook cool. There is a flap at the back with a strap that holds the notebook in place.

This would be a problem if the exit vent for your notebook's fan is at the back of the computer. It is possible to fold the flap down so that it doesn't obstruct the outlet but this then means the notebook is not as well secured on the LapGard. Two straps at the front of the stand keep the notebook in place.

This is a good investment for anyone who really uses their notebook on their lap for any period of time. It was very effective at blocking heat, certainly more so that the large paperbook we had previously been using, and more comfortable than trying to use a desktop stand.

Other stands we have looked at such as the Antec Notebook Cooler have feet that concentrate the weight of the notebook in certain places, and as such are uncomfortable over longer periods. The Antec cooler, designed to keep as much air moving around the notebook as possible, has a couple of fans built in and the feet to give it clearance from the desk. These work well but, as we've said, are very uncomfortable.

As well as not having uncomfortable feet, the ability of this stand to fold flat also makes it more convenient for putting away in a notebook bag. It is thinner than might be expected given its impressive ability to block heat.

It is certainly always better to use a notebook computer on a table rather than on a lap, but for when this isn't possible the Amps LapGard is almost indispensible, particularly given its good value £20 cost.

Review: Brenthaven Metrolite notebook bag

Anthony Dhanendran — 2008-01-14T00:00:00.000Z

Anthony Dhanendran, Computeract!ve, Monday 14 January 2008 at 00:00:00

Slim and stylish computer protection

Brenthaven is proud of its bags, and with good reason. It began as a maker of bags for backpackers, and the travel-hard ethos has remained now that it's moved into computer carriers. The company's bags tend to be functional, without much consideration of how you're going to look carrying them on the street.

The Metrolite is the company's attempt to remedy that, with a pleasant brushed black exterior and a slimline profile. But the Metrolite should still keep your computer safe – in fact, the company says that a sharp drop won't hurt a notebook, as long as it's wrapped up properly in the Metrolite. We tried it with a drop of a couple of feet, and it did work, with no visible damage at all, and a perfectly functioning computer afterwards.

The thinness of the bag does mean that inside the main section there's only room for the notebook (the version we looked at can take a 12in to 15.4in notebook, with sprung holders inside to cradle the smaller models). But there is a pocket on one side for documents, and a pouch on the other for a charger and a couple of other small acccessories.

Like all of the company's cases, the Metrolite comes with a lifetime guarantee, meaning it shouldn't fall apart on you, and although we didn't destruction-test the bag, it seemed very sturdy indeed. Even though £60 might seem a lot compared with budget notebook bags, they won't keep your notebook as safely as the Brenthaven Metrolite.

Review: Brenthaven Prolite III 17in notebook bag

Tim Smith — 2008-01-07T00:00:00.000Z

Tim Smith, Computeract!ve, Monday 7 January 2008 at 00:00:00

A well made, professional looking notebook bag

Choosing a good notebook bag is very important: spending an extra £10 or so may prevent expensive repairs or even replacement. The Brenthaven Prolite III is a tough-looking bag with more padding than most. It also has enough extra pockets to handle paper documents and extra gadgets.

The bag is big enough for notebooks with a 17in widescreen display - there are smaller and slightly cheaper bags for 13.3in and 15.4in notebooks as well. There is padding on the sides of the notebook as well as the front and back. This meant that we were able to subject a notebook in the bag to the rigours of the daily Southern Railways commute and not be too worried.

The main notebook pouch is just big enough for the computer, so it's neccessary to avoid the temptation to pack other bits and pieces with it that could scratch or damage it.

The bag's shoulder strap is comfortable with a well padded area in the middle to help ease the strain of carrying a heavy computer (many 17in models can be quite weighty). We were a little disappointed that there are no backpack-like straps on the bag to allow it to be carried that way.

The secondary section of the bag has a double zip system so it is in theory possible to keep it closed with a simple padlock. It's just a shame that the same is not true of the notebook section. It's not that likely that someone will slip the notebook out without anyone noticing but it would give some more peace of mind to users.

Review: Enlight LP-772 computer chassis

Simon Williams — 2006-10-17T00:00:00.000Z

Simon Williams, Computeract!ve, Tuesday 17 October 2006 at 00:00:00

The Enlight LP-772 is a barebones computer chassis with a difference; it's piggybacked onto an LCD monitor

Most barebones PCs are a small rectangular box, to which you still need to attach a separate monitor, along with all the other components needed to make a computer.

The Enlight LP-772 takes a different approach; it's a 17in LCD monitor - there's a 19in version available too - with mountings for a motherboard and hard disk to be fixed, backpack-style, behind the screen. The monitor base has space for a 220W power supply, a couple of speakers and a DVD or CD drive.

The clever thing about the LP-772 is that it's designed to take any micro-ATX system board. This means it's possible to build a computer based around a basic processor and memory, possibly with integrated graphics.

Alternatively, it's versatile enough to support much faster components, such as a fast dual-core processor, separate graphics card and possibly a couple of TV tuners, which would create a home entertainment computer. In essence, there's quite a bit of room to mix and match.

There's a separate slide-in tray to hold a 3.5in hard disk and, like other aspects of the system, you can upgrade with off-the-shelf components at any time.

All the cables you need to plug in are already there and once you've fitted the micro-ATX system board, complete with an insulating sheet supplied with the chassis, it's no more complicated to get your head around than a mini tower and rather less fiddly than a typical micro-ATX case.

In fact, the fiddliest bit is fitting the DVD or CD drive into its base. There's barely enough length in the box to fit a standard 5.25in device and you may have to re-jig some of the internal cables.

Down the left-hand side of the decent 17in screen, which is of similar quality to those found in £100 to £150 monitors, is a pre-fitted memory card reader, complete with twin USB 2 sockets.

Like many aspects of this chassis, it's designed for ease of build and maximum flexibility and gets a thumbs up from us.

Also consider

Shuttle SD36G5M

Overall: A small form factor barebones system built around Intel Viiv specification.

Rating: 4

Price: £289

All computer cases reviews

Review: Celly notebook PC bag

Paul Allen — 2006-07-12T00:00:00.000Z

Paul Allen, Computeract!ve, Wednesday 12 July 2006 at 00:00:00

Carry a computer without announcing the fact to potential thieves

More people now buy notebook PCs with the intention of carrying them around, whether for work, university or on holiday.

Mobility is a fine notion, but transporting relatively delicate and valuable equipment has long posed a problem.

The cases supplied with notebooks offer plenty of protection and storage space for small peripherals, but the standard design can prove a lure to thieves, especially if the case is left unattended.

The Celly carrier owes more in design to the record bags that have become fashinable in the past few years. The adjustable shoulder strap has a sliding pad to absorb the weight of the bag, and the main pocket is divided into three sections.

One contains a padded divider to protect the notebook from bumps. However we were a little disappointed to that the base of the bag is not so well padded.

The bag's main flap attached securely enough by velcro and with two zipped pockets on the outside and one inside, we found plenty of space to store our bits and pieces.

The bag was comfortable to carry, although the light beige cover quickly attracted some city grime. At £30 the bag represents good value, and is available in four two-tone designs, from the beige pictured here to a rather eye-catching lime and grey.