Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700 w/17in MacBook Pro
Posted: 4/1/2010
Yesterday while I was out buying parts for a repair, I made an impulse buy of Logitech's Speaker Lapdesk N700 (US $79.99 list). It's listed for up to 16in display laptops, but since the MBP 17in are not as wide as some PC 17in notebooks (and after some rough measurements in-store), I bought it. I'd wanted a 'lapdesk' and had seen this model announced earlier, but hadn't planned on spending $80 for one. (Cooling fan and Speakers were not on my must-have list.)
And white would not have been my first choice, as I wonder what it will look like after a lot of use. You can remove the side panels for cleaning but I'd have preferred a darker color personally. Operation was PNP (although on first Win7 (bootcamp) boot windows did the usual auto-driver load).
Here are some (rough) photos of how the 17in (unibody) Macbook Pro fits on it. I'm using the 2 supplied rubber spacers that elevate the rear of the notebook a bit (appx 1/2in but I've not measured it). The base has two sets of slotted holes for those pads - the rearmost holes are for standard size notebooks, the more forward slots are for netbook use.
The right side pix below shows the Fan switch (mechanical) and Speaker Volume/Mute buttons. (Mute mode and volume settings were retailed after shutdown/restart, but that doesn't prevent the series of pops/clicks during startup.) Adjacent to the speaker buttons in the photo below is a rubber clip to secure the USB cable when not in use.
So far I have no buyers remorse, but here's my personal list of pros and cons:
Pros:
- Lapdesk, speakers and cooler all in one
- Fairly quiet fan (not totally silent but not bothersome)
- Better sound than internal speakers (not hi-fi but better than I expected)
- Seems fairly well built for this sort of acccessory
Cons/Wish List:
- White color wouldn't have been my first choice
- Manual says do not connect other USB devices while the N700 is connected
- Series of Pops/Clicks at startup with it connected. (USB bus init - if it bothers you just connect it after booting.)
- Wish there was a bit wider model, but no regrets on that w/17in MBP.
Since it's entirely USB bus powered (they cite the usual 500mA draw) if used on battery it will have some effect on runtime but I've not measured that.
So far overall I'm pleased with it and if there's any issues down the road (or infant failure) I'll post an update.
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