Targus PA243U Notebook Portable Lapdesk by Targus
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List Price: Our Price: $4.50 You Save: $27.49 (86%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.48 (click here) Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Targus PA243U Notebook Portable Lapdesk
Digital camera Review: Targus PA243U Notebook Portable Lapdesk - Flimsy
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought a Targus Notebook lapdesk a year or so ago and love it. I use it all the time. So, I wanted to get one for a friend. However, I am a bit disappointed with the PA243U model. It is flimsy and doesn't appear as durable. The rubber pad design on the older lapdesk is better. So is the riser (you can angle the lapdesk to varying heights). It will serve the purpose, but I am disappointed. Additionally, I wouldn't trust leaving a larger widescreen laptop on it. I hope that Targus will roll out a new lapdesk similar to their older one, or bring the older one back.Digital camera Review: Targus Portable Lapdesk
Summary: 3 Stars
It's average. It is a little too wide for use in an armchair, but not wide enough to fit over the arms. It is too wide to use on an airplane--at least not the smaller ones I fly. It folds in half, but it is too big, folded, to fit into my laptop carrier (Briggs & Riley). It might fit easily into a larger carrier--mine's compact. It seems to be made well. I just don't use it much.Digital camera Review: Targus does it again
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the 3rd Targus product I've bought so far, and it works great, just like the others! It's small enough to fit in my carrying case, but big enough to sit comfortably on my lap and still have enough surface space to use a mouse on the side.
Pros: Small, very lightweight, and allows the fans on the bottom of my laptop to get plenty of air to pull through the machine for cooling.
Cons: A little flimsy, but I attribute that to the lightweight material used.
Overall, a great product, and worth the $30.
Digital camera Review: The LapDesk is a product in search of a purpose.
Summary: 1 Stars
I happen to use an Apple Powerbook 15", which is a gorgeous machine, truly the BMW of computers, and may I say, designed with sensibilities reminiscent of the Porsche Design Group.Naturally, the Targus LapDesk is no match design-wise, but doesn't even seem designed with the notebook user/traveler in min.
1) Clunky design. Cleverly combining two identical fitting parts may be a boon in production but bypasses the functionality it should afford. In fact,I found my Powerbook peculiarly balancing on top of the hinge and even sliding off the tray while using it in bed. Remember, form follows function, not the other way around. It's design rule #1.
2) Lack of heat dissipation. When I noticed that the Powerbook's fan kept coming on I discovered that the Mac runs actually cooler without the LapDesk. No surprise, as there's no ventilation whatsoever once the notebook is placed on the LapDesk. The tiny air channel is actually a closed loop in tilted position. A few holes would have made a difference, but the gutters used should at least have had front and end openings in tilted position. In tray position the surface runs too hot to be comfortable on one's lap.
3) The "desk" aspect. The greatest mistake is perhaps cladding the left and right surface areas with the same anti-slip rubber used to hold the notebook in place. Better would've been to extend a smooth surface all the way to the edge to allow for today's wireless mouse, such as the Kensington which currently not only can't move on the rubber, but also loses its optical tracking. However, a traditional mouse didn't fare much better as the area is just too small and doesn't increase by moving the notebook further to the other side. In its fold-out position the LapDesk suffers from its greatest design flaw: it's not a desk by any means. Perhaps a cupholder would've made it more so, but now all we have is useless space at the left and right and rightfully so I have yet to come across a product picture that gives purpose to those areas. Not surprising as they hold scarcely more than a few pencils (which we don't need as we have a $2,000 notebook).
4) The convenience factor. Carrying the LapDesk on your lap, either in a chair or on the bed is a most uncomfortable experience. The hard plastic with its rims, knobbies, and edges make it rather painful to endure in bed and the "hinges" for the upright flipstand that extend beyond the tray further add discomfort. Either way, using the LapDesk on your lap leaves your thighs feeling sweaty, raw, and bruised.
5) Price. $30 is too much for a piece of plastic. Of course, owners of expensive laptops are willing to pay more for a solution, but this is not the solution I was looking for and I bet others must feel cheated the same way.
Now, it's true that as an Apple user I may be spoiled with great design and functionality. Indeed, I have often shaken my head at the sight of the products PC manufacturers put out, as they often resembled a hodgepodge of ideas with design thrown in as an afterthought. Yet, some of them too drive BMW's and Porsches, but perhaps only for the status these marvels represent rather than for their superior design. While it may seem unfair to compare a German automobile to the LapDesk, in the end it's still well-thought-out design that wins. Imagine what Jonathon Ives, Apple's award-winning designer could've come up with. Remember, less is more. Engineers are not designers. This product looks engineered, not designed. Worse, it looks like it was picked up at a Hong Kong trade show. In my opinion Targus has pandered to a market of consumers with a need for a product without giving it to them.
Digital camera Review: Well designed but expensive piece of plastic
Summary: 3 Stars
I found this when searching for something to rest my laptop on during road trips. I couldn't find any "bean bag" lapdesks - kids already in school, all sold out at [local store], etc. This item works fine. Compact (but not so lightweight). Pretty pricey ... for just a piece of molded plastic with rubber skids. Works well on a desktop (or hotel room table) with folding configuration. Keeps your lap cool, protected from laptop heat. If I can find a comfortable bean-bag, kid's style lapdesk for [less money], I'll probably take this back but will sacrifice portability in the process. Targus lapdesk is best for hardcore travelers. ...