Swapping laptops at desk set up - Can I sit the MBA on top of my turn't off work laptop?

[Marty_Macfly]

Hi All,


At my work desk at home it is a real faff to keep removing the work laptop, and then replacing with the MBA, and then plugging in the USB-C hub cable into the MBA, to use the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Almost dropped both laptops at the same time last night.


Will it damage the Work laptop, if I after work I simply turn it off, then place my MBA on top of it at my desk, and away I go?

The kind of issues I'm thinking about is the close proximity of a MBA, tuned on, on top of the work Laptop's SDD etc for hours at a time etc.




Hope you can advise if this is an OK approach.

Regards
Martin

 

[Runs For Fun]

I don't see any issue with that. If you're worried about heat affecting the work laptop I don't see how it would be any different than leaving work laptop running (assuming it's asleep when you close it). In fact the heat would be much less than that generated by the laptop itself.

 

[mk313]

I’ve been using a Twelve South Curve Stand to manage my personal/work computers since Work from Home started. It’s a stand that lifts my work laptop a few inches off the ground & tilts it so that it’s at about the same height as my external monitor. It had a gap underneath in which I place my personal laptop.

I keep them both plugged in & hooked up to a monitor & I have a multi-device Bluetooth mouse & keyboard. Whenever I need to switch from one to the other, I just switch monitor inputs & the input on the mouse & keyboard.

I do tend to use the personal laptop with only the eternal monitor (not using the built-in screen) as otherwise I’d have to physically swap the devices, but it’s not too hard to do if I did have to.

 

[IowaLynn]

Something like this can be made to work. Vertical for one or two, elevated and room underneath. I even use elevated stand for my Mac Mini to sit on and tuck some SSD drives and cables underneath. Another for a laptop.

Amazon.com: Macbook Pro Stand Vertical

Amazon.com: macbook pro stand vertical

amazon.com

 

[Marty_Macfly]

I’ve been using a Twelve South Curve Stand to manage my personal/work computers since Work from Home started. It’s a stand that lifts my work laptop a few inches off the ground & tilts it so that it’s at about the same height as my external monitor. It had a gap underneath in which I place my personal laptop.

I keep them both plugged in & hooked up to a monitor & I have a multi-device Bluetooth mouse & keyboard. Whenever I need to switch from one to the other, I just switch monitor inputs & the input on the mouse & keyboard.

I do tend to use the personal laptop with only the eternal monitor (not using the built-in screen) as otherwise I’d have to physically swap the devices, but it’s not too hard to do if I did have to.

Hi MK,

I'm old school and have USB keyboards and mouse to wear out before considering shelling out for Bluetooth accessories 😆

My Monitor only has one Display port as well, so I would need to swap cables regardless. Very lucky to have a all in one Dell USB-C HUB from work I've been using with the MBA quite happily.


Regards
Martin

 

[Marty_Macfly]

Something like this can be made to work. Vertical for one or two, elevated and room underneath. I even use elevated stand for my Mac Mini to sit on and tuck some SSD drives and cables underneath. Another for a laptop.

Amazon.com: Macbook Pro Stand Vertical

Amazon.com: macbook pro stand vertical

amazon.com

Hi again I,


Oh that's an Option for the MBA.

Unfortunately I need the Laptop screen open for the Worktop, as a 2nd screen to go with the external monitor.


Regards
Martin

 

[Marty_Macfly]

I don't see any issue with that. If you're worried about heat affecting the work laptop I don't see how it would be any different than leaving work laptop running (assuming it's asleep when you close it). In fact the heat would be much less than that generated by the laptop itself.

Hi R,


I suppose I'm concerned with any damage from close electomagnetic proximity of the MBA etc, sitting onto of the work laptop for hours.

OK, the work laptop is turn't on, when I have the MBA sitting on it, so the work laptop's Intel Chip will not overheat etc.

However, is there any other potential damage to the work computers SSD storage etc?


Regards
Martin

 

[Runs For Fun]

Hi R,


I suppose I'm concerned with any damage from close electomagnetic proximity of the MBA etc, sitting onto of the work laptop for hours.

OK, the work laptop is turn't on, when I have the MBA sitting on it, so the work laptop's Intel Chip will not overheat etc.

However, is there any other potential damage to the work computers SSD storage etc?


Regards
Martin

No. I'm not sure what kind of damage you think is going to happen but I don't think anything like that would even be possible.

 

[IowaLynn]

This is the horizontal stand I use and was trying to describe, and should have been in that list.

Nulaxy Adjustable Laptop Stand, Ergonomic Laptop Riser with Heat-Vent, Aluminum Laptop Stand for Desk Compatible with 10-17" Up to 22 Lbs Laptop, MacBook Air Pro, Dell XPS, HP, Silver

Nulaxy Adjustable Laptop Stand, Ergonomic Laptop Riser with Heat-Vent, Aluminum Laptop Stand for Desk Compatible with 10-17" Up to 22 Lbs Laptop, MacBook Air Pro, Dell XPS, HP, Silver

www.amazon.com

 

[nothingtoseehere]

No. I'm not sure what kind of damage you think is going to happen but I don't think anything like that would even be possible.

^^This. Electronic components are designed to work in close distance to other components. SSDs, for example, work well when soldered on the logicboard. Another computer centimeters away will have no influence.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I’ve been using a Twelve South Curve Stand to manage my personal/work computers since Work from Home started. It’s a stand that lifts my work laptop a few inches off the ground & tilts it so that it’s at about the same height as my external monitor. It had a gap underneath in which I place my personal laptop.

I keep them both plugged in & hooked up to a monitor & I have a multi-device Bluetooth mouse & keyboard. Whenever I need to switch from one to the other, I just switch monitor inputs & the input on the mouse & keyboard.

I do tend to use the personal laptop with only the eternal monitor (not using the built-in screen) as otherwise I’d have to physically swap the devices, but it’s not too hard to do if I did have to.

What mk said here, is the route you should take, in my opinion,Martin. I think that that will be the safest and most productive setup.

 

[Super T]

There were some articles floating around the internet a couple years ago about batteries interfering with either due to inductive effects when one is charging or discharging, but I think that was shown to be unfounded academic "what-if" type concerns. For the first few months of WFH I ran a 16" MBP and a 15" Dell monster of a laptop on top of each other, both batteries are fine.