I know that Apple is not calling MacBooks "laptop" anymore, still I like to use my MacBook Pro... well... on my lap. As you know the problem is that these fast computers are very hot, and while having a warm computer on your lap is nice in winter, it's quite annoying in an hot summer.

Today I installed smcFanControl, a little app that overrides the default fan speed and allows you, for example, to get both cooling fans to run at 2000rpm instead of 1000 (they can go up to 6000rpm). I wasn't expecting much, and I was wrong: it makes a huge difference! The processor is running at a significantly lower temperature and the whole computer is significantly cooler, to the point that it's not uncomfortable anymore. I think that Apple should add a "Lap mode" vs. "Desktop mode" to the system preferences..

Highly recommended.

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