Vantec Piano 101 Laptop Cooler Review

I have only two gripes about Vantec’s Piano 101: usability and purpose. Readers might think to themselves, “the purpose is obvious; cooling, sound, and additional ports”. Yes, yes, I get it. However, many of us use our notebooks in places that the Piano would not be helpful. A few examples would be an airplane, school library, park, or a road trip.

Would you really haul the Piano around just for the cooling and USB ports when you really can’t use the sound features? Does the cooling fan make enough of a difference to justify the awkward position of having both the station and notebook sitting on one’s lap? Because the station and laptop do not lock in, any sudden movement could send both hurdling across the room. I’m not sure that the extra baggage is really worth it.

The station cannot be operated by batteries. This means wherever you take it you have got to have an outlet. This immediately eliminates all travel, and makes traveling abroad really a pain in the butt. Finding socket adapters for Europe is already a pain, do you really want to find one for your Piano? If the Piano 101 could be battery operated, perhaps it would make more sense to bring it along.

The Vantec Piano 101 is an interesting contraption, but not entirely useful. For a notebook at home, the station compliments a computer desk quite nicely and Vantec delivers what it advertises. With the addition of the speakers, USB ports, and cooling fan, the Piano 101 makes working at home on a notebook for long periods more tolerable.

Its sleek and original design is attractive to look at and gives the Piano 101 portable potential. But, its dependence on the power cord keeps the Piano 101 at home.

If you’re looking for bragging rights for a funky contraption or use your notebook exclusively as your only computer and MP3 player, the Vantec Piano 101 is for you. But for those of us who use our laptops minimally or for a different purpose, the Piano 101 leaves us looking for more mobility and functionality.

REPORT CARD : Vantec Piano 101

category	rating	comments
Quality	4	Is compact and is made from very durable plastic. Lettering and gloss look a little cheesy.
Innovation	5	A lot is included in this notebook station, and the movable speakers are really fun.
Performance	4	Cooling fan’s impact is debatable, but the sound is great.
Installation	5	Are you a Neandertal? If not, you will have no problem.
Value	3	Vantec delivers what it promises, but is this station really useful to the average consumer?