Sometimes I work from home where I put my laptop actually on my lap. Putting my Dell Latitude D820 on my lap when working is like setting a hot piece of coal on your lap for 8hrs a day. I found the XB1004 (http://tinyurl.com/ckchox looking for something to make life better for working under these conditions. This little investement has been amazing. It's basically plastic with some rubbery corner pieces to keep things from sliding around. It's not necessarily a piece of art. However, it is perfect for what it does. He keeps the laptop off your legs, vents it for cooling, and has a nice flip out shelf for the mouse. I've heard people complain that they with the mouse shelf had a lip or something to keep the mouse from falling. I use a Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 7000 and have had no issues with the mouse falling. In fact if there was a lip it would be in the way when I got to the edge of the shelf. I paid list price for the XB and do not regret the purchase. Amazon has it on sale for less than $20. Well worth the money. ) when