Antec Notebook Cooler or iLap

Yes the Podiurm is a great desgn I think. However, I'm not sure it would be ideal in the lap. Other than that, it would be a great choice.

I'm not sure what materials would be better and if aluminum is going to make that much difference or if it's just anything that elevates so that air can flow.

We need tests! : )

Quick update, bought the iLap this morning, and used it at the coffee shop for about an hour and half. The HD temp never got over 38C in an airconditioned shop.

Now I'm at home, no airconditioning, room temp around 80F, no airflow. I'm using it on my lap while recharging the battery. This is notorious for driving up temps on my MBP, charging battery + use = 45C or higher HDD temps. Right now, after about 30-40 minutes of charging and use, HDD is at 40C. Good sign so far, especially considering how little airflow and how warm it is right now in the apartment.

Normally the MBP would be scorching by now and unusable on the lap.

I can definitely feel the iPad's aluminum drawing heat and acting like a heatsink.

I know you asked this a few days ago, and it's a little late to answer seeing as you've purchased the iLap, but for the sake of anyone who does searches about the fan, I'll throw my two cents in.

I haven't used the iLap, so I can't comment about it, but I received the Antec notebook cooler as a gift about two days after getting my MBP. The first two days without it, I noticed some very high temperatures with the MBP, as can be expected, and it was a little uncomfortable to keep my wrists resting on the book as I was typing. With the fan, it's noticeably cooler to the touch pretty much every place except the hinge area by the front of the screen. I haven't really checked the exact temperature difference because I mainly use the fan when gaming in Windows, but I have no complaints about it's performance, and to be honest, I was skeptical at first. The only thing I am not fond of is the holes in the aluminum top of the fan... the edges seem like they could potentially scratch the bottom of the notebook, although, after a week of use it hasn't happened yet. And the fan does make a soft noise while on, but my notebook doesn't moo or squeal, so I'm not complaining. If you are looking for something to keep as a barrier between your lap and notebook, it's not a good choice. It's nice for a desktop, though.

I use a lapinator. The ergonomics and how well it fits in your lap is unreal. My MBP is slightly cooler but the bottom of the lapinator is the same temp as my lap. It's a really amazing product and the best purchase I ever made for my MBP. Believe me I tried EVERY solution and every cooling pad to use this on my lap and this was really the best one I tried. No usb, better battery life for lap usage.

If you need one for a table I use "3 fans aluni cooler pad" which I got off someone at ebay. This product has some killer fans and it sits the MBP at a nice angle plus its aluminum and absorbs the heat. It is USB powered but I plug mine in on my desk anyways. When I use my MBP at work with this it runs about 10 degrees cooler, but its not designed for lap usage I use my lapinator for that.

These were my solutions and I've been happy with them. Give them a shot.