Review: Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700
Don Bradbury adds a comfort zone to a laptop
| Product | Speaker Lapdesk N700 |
|---|---|
| Company | Logitech |
| Web | www.logitech.com |
| Price | £69.99 |
| We like | Simple setup, respectable quality sound, adequate airflow from a quiet fan |
| We don't like | Inevitably takes up some space. Reduces battery life somewhat. Rather expensive |
| Rating | 9/10 |
| Requirements | Windows XP, Vista, 7 ; Mac OS |
Logitech's Speaker Lapdesk N700 could indeed be considered a laptop comfort zone, and in more way than one. It's basically a shaped and padded base on which you sit your notebook/netbook while the entire assembly sits on your knees, bed, or other surface. Some examples of this genre build in a cooling fan, but the N700 also gives you a half-decent pair of neodymium stereo speakers.
Full control of the speaker volume (including mute), and an on/off switch for the fan, are all that's necessary, and so there's no software to install as the supported OS (XP, Vista, or 7, and Mac OS) recognises the audio addition instantly; you just plug the integral USB cable into a spare port on your computer and away you go.
Power issues
The USB 2.0 spec should provide up to 500mA of power at each port, and this is adequate for running the speakers at quite reasonable volume levels. That will, of course, result in a hit on your battery, depending on the volume set, though it seemed to us to quite tolerable. You can access the speakers for periodic cleaning by raising the cover over each one.
A pair of foldable retaining bars can be raised against which to rest the laptop while you raise it to any practical angle on your lap for typing. The cooling fan we found quiet and unobtrusive, and while you may choose to switch it off to conserve battery power, it does tackle that most unrecognised of maladies for laptop users, ie the restriction of air flow and consequent over-heating, which does no good at all to the poor laptop's working parts. You can add a pair of pads to the base grill to access an even better air flow.
Such restriction arises from the soft clothing against which you rest the computer; or worse, even softer and thicker bedding for those inclined to relax on the bed while working, either totally blocking - or at least partially restricting - the natural air flow the computer presumes you will make available to it.
Speakers
The 2-watt speakers were something of a surprise to us. While not exactly hifi grade, they nevertheless produced a decent volume of sound with minimal distortion, even when blasting out a naturally loud track with all software and hardware volume settings set close to maximum. The sound was far better than you would get from laptop speakers (for which there's no space in the computer for a decently sized pair), so you can sit back and enjoy a respectable level of sound while working or playing on your laptop or netbook.
The integrated USB cable can be popped into a grip that's on the side of the N700 when not in use, though any spare length of cable has to be coiled up and tucked away. That cable is, though, of sufficient length to reach any remotely positioned USB port on the laptop.
Our Vista setup recognised that the N700 should be made the preferred audio output device while active (ie plugged in and switched on), and it reverted to the machine's default when removed, all without our intervention. Should that automation fail to work, there's a leaflet that describes how to force the issue via Control Panel.
In conclusion
For £69.99 you get a comfortable rest upon which to rest your laptop while working from your knee or bed, plus decent quality stereo speakers that make the laptop's own audio output seem lamentable, and a means of cooling for both the computer and yourself, should you need it. All-in-all then, a recommended buy, though it might be considered rather on the expensive side.
