The existence of little kids makes the external power supply a disaster
waiting to happen. Other than having all of those wires hanging out waiting
for your kids to pull it down, it would also require a switch to turn it on
(Google ATX spec).
Two things I would recommend are:
A ceiling fan - get more air flow around the desk
a platform to set the notebook on that has fans
http://www.buy.com/retail/usersearchresults.asp?querytype=home&qu=notebook+fan&qxt=home&display=col

Outside of that, some solder, a wall wart, and a 4-5" PC fan would make a
great air mover...
But given you lack of hardware knowledge, go with the above recommendations.

Eric

On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 1:49 PM, Alex Dean <alex@crackpot.org> wrote:

> My notebook gets ridiculously hot.  I cut some holes in my desk to get some
> air circulating under it.  I'd like to attach a few small fans to move a
> little more air, and some fans from a PC case seem ideal for both size and
> noise reasons.
>
> I know nearly nothing about hardware.  I think I can hook these up to a PC
> power supply, and plug the power supply into my wall, right?
>
> Questions :
>  - Any better ideas for small quiet fans which could easily be attached to
> a desk?
>  - Is it safe to have a PC power supply outside of a case?
>  - Where can I get a cheap power supply?  To run a few fans, I'd think any
> piece of junk ought to do.  Frys?
>  - Will there be any way to switch this rig on/off besides just yanking out
> the power cord?
>
> The safety issue is the primary one.  I have 2 little kids, and while they
> aren't allowed in my office, I don't want a potential electrocution hazard
> anywhere in the house.
>
> thanks,
> alex
>
>
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