Hands-On Review--LapWorks' Aluminum Desktop Stand
LapWorks' Aluminum Desktop Stand (LADS for short) is an ingenious device for your MacBook Pro, MacBook or PowerBook G4, especially if one travels a lot and likes to use their 'Book on a stand. We used LADS on our recent trip to write this review.
LADS is manufactured from five sheets of aluminum and the finish is excellent. It has a glossy coat to prevent corrosion and there are no sharp edges anywhere.
The two main pieces that form the base that sits on the desk and upon which one sets their 'Book are hinged. Two pieces that form the two support arms are attached to the back of top with another hinge. The two support arms allow one to adjust the angle from about 15o to 37o, raising the bottom of the screen from 3.5" up to 6.75".
The fifth piece is hinged to the bottom piece and protrudes through slots in the base to form a ledge that the front edge of ones 'Book rests against. The ledge has black rubber bands to protect the 'Book from marring. LADS comes with four clear rubber "feet" to hold the 'Book up off the stand and to grip it so that it does not slip or slide around.
On the bottom of the base is a black plastic disk that allows one to easily rotate their 'Book left and right or to swivel it around 360 degrees. The disk has five rubber feet that grips the desk so that it does not slide. LapWorks claims it works for notebooks up to 8 pounds so there should be no problem with any 'Book including a 17" MacBook Pro or 17" PowerBook G4 since they weigh less than 7lbs.
The ingenious part of LADS is that it all folds flat to about 3/8" thick and slides into a provided protective neoprene cover. The LADS only weighs a few ounces over a pound and is easily tucked away in a briefcase, bag or backpack for travel.
We used LADS on its lowest setting since we were typing from our 15" MacBook Pro's keyboard. LADS doesn't work with the MacBook Pro at the highest of the six settings since the screen cannot be tilted back far enough due to the design of the MacBook's hinge. We found that typing on our MacBook while on the LADS was easy and comfortable. The MacBook Pro remained stable and not rocking even though the LADS is not completely solid, i.e. one can rock the MacBook Pro a bit by pressing down on either side. The swivel worked great and the stand gripped the desk in our hotel room very well.
LapWorks claims a cooling effect of 23% and links to a thermal study to support their claim. We did not confirm that claim but getting a 'Book up off the desk, particularly when running on AC power, helps to cool it significantly.
LapWorks' Aluminum Desktop Stand is a quality product. It is very well made and works well. Because of its ingenious folding design and light weight, LADS is especially recommended for travelers. LADS has a one-year warranty. It sells for $59.95 off the LabWorks Web site. [Bill Fox]
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