Tech Review: Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700

A few weeks ago, I finally replaced my laptop. My old Dell, which I loved dearly and had many good times with, died well over a year ago. After talking to people with laptops, I had my mind set on a Sony Vaio, and that's what I got. Thanks to a good sale, I came in way under budget, so I decided to get a few needed accessories. One of those was a lap desk.

Buy the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700 on Amazon.com

I'd spent many days with hot legs thanks to my old Dell, and that may have been a contributor to its demise. I wanted to take care of my new toy and work station, so I decided to get a lap desk with a built in fan. As I looked at what was available, I noticed one that was different from the rest. Logitech always makes interesting computer products, but this really caught my eye. I was used to having weak speakers on my old laptop, so I have simple external speakers that I used to plug in. That was great, but I always had to have an outlet. Speakers that worked off the headphone jack were never worth using.


I decided to give the N700 a shot. It wasn't much more than the other lapdesks, around $65, and it had a nice look to it. I hooked it up to my computer, and I was amazed by the difference in sound. It has amazing stereo speakers, and no matter what you're listening to, it sounds great. The fan and volume controls on the side are great. There is an on/off switch for the fan, and the volume controls include up, down and mute. While the speakers are loud enough to fill my entire apartment and clear as a bell, the fan is so quiet that I've checked several times to see if it was even running. I swear it is inaudible.

The design is all about comfort. The N700 is super soft on the bottom and wrapped in a mesh that breathes. I don't sweat, and it also shields me from the weight of the laptop. It's like nothing's there. It's wide, but that really allows you to sit comfortably. You don't need to keep your knees pinched together so it doesn't fall off. If you want to spread out, feel free. The power runs off USB, and it's plug and play. There's no software and no setup required, and you don't have to disconnect from anything to take your laptop in another room. You know who you are, toilet surfers.

The only issue I really have with the N700 is that it eats up my laptop battery when the fan is on, but that's an obvious expectation, and the design allows enough airflow to not need the fan to be on constantly. The speakers themselves don't seem to eat up much extra power. It's also not something you buy for travel. This is a work at home lapdesk. It's something you'd use on your couch or at your dining room table. I have yet to watch a movie with my lapdesk, but I can only guess that it must sound amazing. As you can guess, I really like this thing. My one piece of advice if you get one is to set the N700 as your default speakers, otherwise the built in tin cans might take precedence. Other than that, sit back, relax and surf away.