You probably didn't do any long-term harm.  It will run cooler on a hard 
surface.  Besides being soft, your lap is warm, which is not ideal.  I am 
surpriced it didn't cool off enough between wherever you were and home.  Did 
the fan come on?
"M J Schreiber" <mjsch@pro-ns.net> wrote in message 
news:43de7a15$0$49535$8046368a@newsreader.iphouse.net...
> My new Satellite A105-2716 cut out on me all of a sudden the other day. I
> was cruising the web with a WiFi connection while listening to some tunes 
> on
> the Windows Media Center. I was running off of battery, and knew I was
> getting low. Thought maybe it was a Power Management thing, so I just 
> packed
> it up and went on home. Tried the computer at home under AC, and it would
> still cut out after about 3 minutes following a reboot. Once it cooled all
> the way down, it has been running just fine. I know when I was using it at
> the coffee shop, I had it setting on the soft-shell case, so I suppose I 
> was
> blocking off the air intake vent.... Duh! Guess I won't do that again, but
> do you think I did any irreparable harm to the processor? It is a Centrino
> M730. Question: Does the bottom of the computer need to breathe as well? 
> OK
> to use on ones lap? It is a laptop after all. I was thinking of cutting a
> piece of Masonite or Plexiglas to use as a "lap desk" to set the pc on.
> Would this help it run cooler? Any feedback appreciated.
>
>