First we will look at the Coolermaster NotePal D1. Here is a list of specifications taken from the Coolermaster site.

CM D1 Front

It is a simple product made from brushed aluminum, shaped in a wedge, containing two fans. There is a pair of rubber grips on either side of the cooler to ensure that the laptop does not slide when resting on the cooler. The air is drawn from the back of the cooler and is blown upwards through lots of small holes. The pair of fans generate a good amount of airflow, sufficient to cool a laptop. They are also quiet and inaudible at all times, so the silence is not broken, the only advantage of the totally passive cooling solution on the Dell.

CM D1 Plugged in

The USB connector has a small groove on the back that it tucks into for easy and tidy storage; this is great as you have one less cable loose around in your rucksack if you are carrying it around. The actual connector is good, it includes a USB port so you don’t loose a port, important as most netbooks lack these, the Dell used here for instance only has three. This port however does not allow full power, therefor it is not possible to use an external hard drive with it. However it is fine for mice, memory sticks etc.

CM D1 Bottom

The cooler is light and the shape makes it great to use when typing; the angle created is much more ergonomic. The black colour goes great with most laptops, and can be used with any size of laptop up to 16”. The main drawback here is that since it is small you need to make sure you position the cooler in the right place for maximum effectiveness. This problem is amplified on larger laptops where the cooler is suddenly very small under the laptop. (Photo Below)

CM D1 with 15.6" Laptop