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Written by Mikhail Ivanenkov
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Sunday, 01 July 2007 |
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Page 2 of 2
The top swings back after you press and lift the cover. The fan itself can then be lifted and positioned accordingly. Unfortunately one of the hinges on my sample was broken, but some superglue fixed it in a jiffy. The mount has a red button which controls the two speed settings (and subsequent airflow). There are three advertised (four total) positions. Atop the fan mount are three holes which lock into the clear cover. The possible angles are between 60-80 degrees (approximated).
The final position involves pulling the cover all the way back and swinging the fan forward until it's stopped by the bottom portion of the container. This is probably around 130-150 degrees and is good if you mount the Breeze MAXX above you to blow down on your head or better yet on your mouse arm to prevent the somewhat common "sweaty hand syndrome". To my knowledge this is a model made exclusively for/by PCToys (as shown by the sticker).
The fan itself is midrange, ball bearing with translucent blades. The back of the unit has a much better fan guard than the front, though spinning at a pretty slow rate (2800 or 3200rpm depending on selected speed) means you won't experience more than a tickle should your finger accidentally slip through the front. You'll also notice four blue LEDs soldered onto the PCB around the fan perimeter; these provide light and set the Breeze MAXX apart from any other desk fans.
It's all plug and play with no installation necessary. Here's a night shot of the show. The blue power LED matches the other four just fine and gives the unit an overall "geek appeal". It's not one of those superbrights either, so it's neither distracting nor blinding. Unfortunately the speed selection button controls power delivered to the entire unit as opposed to just the fan, meaning a slower setting results in slightly dimmer lights. While the difference isn't overly dramatic, it is a small complaint that can be fixed quite easily in any future revisions.
In terms of airflow it's nothing to drool over, but a couple feet of distance still allows for a noticeable breeze that's pleasant even in an already cool room. When it comes to noise, the higher setting is significantly louder, but so is the breeze. There also seems to be a constant buzzing sound (similar to a low pitched whine on some older cold cathode inverters) that remains constant regardless of the speed setting, though it's unnoticeable past two feet.
Pros
- Novel idea
- Portable package
- USB or battery operated
- Medium/high speed settings
- Five blue LEDs (matches modded/lighted cases well)
- Pleasant breeze on either setting, relatively low noise
- Inexpensive at $13
Cons
- Can't compete with desk fans in overall airflow
- LEDs dim when on lower speed setting
- Mysterious buzzing sound
Overall the Breeze MAXX is a novel idea and a pretty useful one at that. It's not the most practical thing in the world, but it does what it's supposed to and looks cool doing it. At $13 it's not terribly expensive either. Once again I'd like to thank Extreme Alterations for sending over this cooler and if interested you can get yours here. Thanks for reading and enjoy the site!
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 July 2007 )
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