4 ms·

Isn't part of the definition of a laptop that it should be able to be used comfortably resting on the user's lap?

satysin 8y ago
Well you can put it on your bare legs if you really want to and during general use doing so is fine but rendering video is going to make it get hot and very uncomfortable.
- namibj 8y ago
  Place a W-series Thinpad on your bare legs on a warm summer day (think you can just still survive/think at all without A/C). You will want to get it away as you can't sweat well under it, and it's dumping some heat into your blood. That's it, despite some discomfort you won't mind it. And apparently the make them with more TDP than apple seems to be able to handle, but instead of an i9 they appear to jump directly to a Xeon. Those start at over $3500 in base configuration though....
zaroth 8y ago
The versatility of a laptop doesn’t mean that it should be expected to violate the laws of physics, or only use chips with maximum TDP such that it is always comfortable on your lap. Having a chip which can max out thermal load while plugged in at your desk, with the expected thermal results, and then throttle down when you go mobile, again with the expected thermal results, is actually the best of both worlds. And with one click the user can actually choose which power mode they want to operate in. A laptop that throttles back to avoid getting hot when you need the CPU/GPU operating at peak performance would be much less useful, particularly for professional use.
- Dylan16807 8y ago
  Violate the laws of physics? Is that the term for limiting the amount of power you dump into the chassis? There's an unlimited amount of air to soak up the bulk of the heat.
dpkonofa 8y ago
That's why they're explicitly not referred to as laptops but notebook computers. It's the reason Apple calls them MacBooks only and not laptops.
- tooop 8y ago
  Laptop is the same thing as notebook computer and Macbook is just a brand name while the actual device is laptop.
- x2f10 8y ago
  You have to be kidding. What you're referring to is a branding tactic. It has nothing to do with some subconscious direction on how to use the device. It's not only reasonable, but expected, that customers will use the device in their laps... no matter what the naming convention. Come on.
  - dpkonofa 8y ago
    Not kidding at all. The entire industry made a huge hard stop and turn on the terminology around 2001/2001 after Dell was sued because a man claimed that his "laptop" burned his thighs/penis when the CPU/battery heated up and the fans didn't turn on. The courts ruled that "laptop" implied that the machine was safe to use in that manner and the guy was awarded damages. After that, it became exclusively "notebook" or "portable" computer industry-wide. I haven't really put any thought into it recently but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any manufacturer referring to their machines as "laptops" now. Edit: It was a Dell Latitude that burned the man's penis: http://ftp.compal.com/Download/NB/NCL50/User-Service%20manual/NCL50%20user%27s%20%20manual%200430.pdf http://ftp.compal.com/Download/NB/NCL50/User-Service%20manua...
    - x2f10 8y ago
      >I haven't really put any thought into it recently but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any manufacturer referring to their machines as "laptops" now. Oh, really? Let's see. Dell: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/sc/laptops https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/sc/laptops HP: https://store.hp.com/us/en/cat/laptops https://store.hp.com/us/en/cat/laptops ASUS: https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ Lenovo: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/c/LAPTOPS https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/c/LAPTOPS Toshiba: http://laptops.toshiba.com/computers-tablets/home/ http://laptops.toshiba.com/computers-tablets/home/ Acer: https://us-store.acer.com/laptops https://us-store.acer.com/laptops Samsung: https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/windows-laptops/ https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/windows-laptops/ I will stop there, because it's obvious that 'the entire industry' did not make a 'huge hard stop and turn on the terminology'. Stop being a fool.
minikites 8y ago
If you look carefully, Apple (and probably other manufacturers) call their portable computers "notebooks" and not "laptops" because using a computer on your lap is bad both thermally and ergonomically.
- tooop 8y ago
  Laptop and notebook is the same thing...
  - InitialLastName 8y ago
    ... except that one conspicuously avoids the assertion that one should use it on one's lap.

Well you can put it on your bare legs if you really want to and during general use doing so is fine but rendering video is going to make it get hot and very uncomfortable.

namibj 8y ago
Place a W-series Thinpad on your bare legs on a warm summer day (think you can just still survive/think at all without A/C). You will want to get it away as you can't sweat well under it, and it's dumping some heat into your blood. That's it, despite some discomfort you won't mind it. And apparently the make them with more TDP than apple seems to be able to handle, but instead of an i9 they appear to jump directly to a Xeon. Those start at over $3500 in base configuration though....

zaroth 8y ago

The versatility of a laptop doesn’t mean that it should be expected to violate the laws of physics, or only use chips with maximum TDP such that it is always comfortable on your lap. Having a chip which can max out thermal load while plugged in at your desk, with the expected thermal results, and then throttle down when you go mobile, again with the expected thermal results, is actually the best of both worlds. And with one click the user can actually choose which power mode they want to operate in. A laptop that throttles back to avoid getting hot when you need the CPU/GPU operating at peak performance would be much less useful, particularly for professional use.

Dylan16807 8y ago
Violate the laws of physics? Is that the term for limiting the amount of power you dump into the chassis? There's an unlimited amount of air to soak up the bulk of the heat.

dpkonofa 8y ago

That's why they're explicitly not referred to as laptops but notebook computers. It's the reason Apple calls them MacBooks only and not laptops.

tooop 8y ago
Laptop is the same thing as notebook computer and Macbook is just a brand name while the actual device is laptop.
x2f10 8y ago
You have to be kidding. What you're referring to is a branding tactic. It has nothing to do with some subconscious direction on how to use the device. It's not only reasonable, but expected, that customers will use the device in their laps... no matter what the naming convention. Come on.
- dpkonofa 8y ago
  Not kidding at all. The entire industry made a huge hard stop and turn on the terminology around 2001/2001 after Dell was sued because a man claimed that his "laptop" burned his thighs/penis when the CPU/battery heated up and the fans didn't turn on. The courts ruled that "laptop" implied that the machine was safe to use in that manner and the guy was awarded damages. After that, it became exclusively "notebook" or "portable" computer industry-wide. I haven't really put any thought into it recently but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any manufacturer referring to their machines as "laptops" now. Edit: It was a Dell Latitude that burned the man's penis: http://ftp.compal.com/Download/NB/NCL50/User-Service%20manual/NCL50%20user%27s%20%20manual%200430.pdf http://ftp.compal.com/Download/NB/NCL50/User-Service%20manua...
  - x2f10 8y ago
    >I haven't really put any thought into it recently but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any manufacturer referring to their machines as "laptops" now. Oh, really? Let's see. Dell: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/sc/laptops https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/sc/laptops HP: https://store.hp.com/us/en/cat/laptops https://store.hp.com/us/en/cat/laptops ASUS: https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/ Lenovo: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/c/LAPTOPS https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/c/LAPTOPS Toshiba: http://laptops.toshiba.com/computers-tablets/home/ http://laptops.toshiba.com/computers-tablets/home/ Acer: https://us-store.acer.com/laptops https://us-store.acer.com/laptops Samsung: https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/windows-laptops/ https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/windows-laptops/ I will stop there, because it's obvious that 'the entire industry' did not make a 'huge hard stop and turn on the terminology'. Stop being a fool.

minikites 8y ago

If you look carefully, Apple (and probably other manufacturers) call their portable computers "notebooks" and not "laptops" because using a computer on your lap is bad both thermally and ergonomically.

tooop 8y ago
Laptop and notebook is the same thing...
- InitialLastName 8y ago
  ... except that one conspicuously avoids the assertion that one should use it on one's lap.