Need a Stand for Powerbook

[answer348]

I'm looking for a laptop stand that I can use around the house, to improve ergonomics while sitting at a desk or lying in bed/sitting in a chair. Any recommendations? The iLap looks good to me, but I'm not sure that it's worth the $60 price tag. Thanks!

[bobpensik]

I use the iCurve for my 12" PB and it is awesome!!

It would not be great for use on your lap, but on a desk nothing can beat it

iCurve - http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/icurve/

[realityisterror]

icurve is the stand to buy for a desk...
if you want a stand for your lap, i think you'd be wasting your money, but i think the most popular in that "genre" is the iBreeze...

4 more till 500,
reality

[answer348]

But it doesnt look like i can use an iCurve without an external keyboard and mouse. It looks like it raises the laptop about 6 to 8 inches off the desk.

[johnkrz]

i have an icurve and i use it on my desk with the keyboard and mouse. external that is. my dad has a podium cool pad by targus. hes always on his comp and he uses the trackpad a whole lot unlike me. i know he loves his podium its pretty enexpensive too.

[logicat2001]

I'll add another "Me too!" to this thread.

The benefit of using an iCurve is that the laptop screen is raised to a comfortable height. You'll find yourself free of the crick-in-the-neck that one gets when staring down at a laptop screen for long periods of time.

For home or office use, the iCurve solves the primary issues of using a laptop day-to-day. Also, the way it's formed allows you to move the keyboard under the laptop in order to regain desk space if you're not using your computer at the moment (imagine that).

Finally, the clear stand looks beautiful and elegant without being any eyesore or blocking the view of anything else on your desk or wall.

Hope you find a solution that works for you.

Best,
Logicat

[ebook]

I would say go with the podiumpad or whatever it's called. It is rather small and swivels which is nice. Also, you can adjust the height with lego-esqe risers. I will look for the link and post something if someone doesn't beat me to it. The only think you may not like is what it would be like on your lap.

http://www.roadtools.com/podium.html

[The Past]

My PB is my primary computer and it is on iCurve all the time. It is nice to look at and makes an elegant addition. But (may be I have a longer neck?!?!), I find that I am taxing my neck a lot because the iCurve does not bring the PB (15") all the way to the eye level. I interchange it with a height-adjustable mobile laptop cart.

[spaceballl]

I think the iCurve looks VERY classy. However, maybe some iCurve users can address an issue I may have with it. Once I plug in my printer and keyboard into the USB port, my LCD into the VGA port, my iPod into the firewire port, and the power into the power port, its elegance is gone. I mean I don't KNOW if it's gone cuz I don't have one... I'm curious though... for iCurve users with a lot of extra stuff, any solution? How does it look?
-Kevin

[logicat2001]

I understand what you're getting at spaceballl, but even with all my usb ports filled, firewire cables and such, it seems less of an eyesore. Just consider that if the laptop were on the desk all those cables tend to kink up around each other, and anything that sits on your desktop; especially my mouse cable.


Bottom line is if you're going to plug a bunch of cables into your laptop, the laptop is going to be sprouting cables...period. However, when placed on an iCurve these cables tend to cascade away from the laptop and down to the desk. It may be nit-picking or sound silly, but even the cables are graced with a bit of elegance when up on an iCurve IMHO.

[bobpensik]

I think the iCurve looks VERY classy. However, maybe some iCurve users can address an issue I may have with it. Once I plug in my printer and keyboard into the USB port, my LCD into the VGA port, my iPod into the firewire port, and the power into the power port, its elegance is gone. I mean I don't KNOW if it's gone cuz I don't have one... I'm curious though... for iCurve users with a lot of extra stuff, any solution? How does it look?
-Kevin

Well if you are that concerned about the look of it you could always get something like this http://www.bookendzdocks.com/bookendz/be03g412.htm

Although i would say that even with all the cables attached it still looks great! i mean if you are attaching all those cables to a laptop they are there all the same anyway!

[aswitcher]

I wish someone would build a stand with fans that also was a hub for USB and Firewire...with powered / unpowered options...

Probably a few years away I guess...

[t300]

I wish someone would build a stand with fans that also was a hub for USB and Firewire...with powered / unpowered options...

Probably a few years away I guess...

What are you waiting for aswitcher? Start building!

[spaceballl]

Well if you are that concerned about the look of it you could always get something like this http://www.bookendzdocks.com/bookendz/be03g412.htm

Although i would say that even with all the cables attached it still looks great! i mean if you are attaching all those cables to a laptop they are there all the same anyway!
I think the bookendz products are really nice, but i wish there were something that would combine the functionality of bookendz with the look of iCurve. If it came down to the two, which it eventually will, I think I'd go for the Bookendz just to hide all the cables and stuff... bummer there's no stand/bookendz combo.
-Kevin

[aswitcher]

What are you waiting for aswitcher? Start building!

:) I am not that handy... :o

[Eevee]

answer348,

Believe you can get an iLap (Rain Design) from MacMall for $59.90.

Details from Rain Design
http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html

To buy from MacMall:

http://www.macmall.com/macmall/shop/detail.asp?dpno=394550

The nice thing about it is that you don't need an external keyboard and you can work on your lap and desk. But the problem is that you can't really use the optical drive since the iLap is blocking it.

iCurve seems to be the best for desktop, though.

Good luck
Eevee

[Champale]

I'm a big fan of the ilap. Did a lot of research before I bought mine.

I use it on the desk and on the lap while working at home.

It comes with a removeable front cushion which is good for desk work.

It's slim and elegant and the aluminum material seems to work at heat management. I haven't cooked my PB or my legs yet.

True, the price is a bit high. But I'm happy to pay more for great design and workmanship. That's why I bought a Mac!

[musicpyrite]

I have a question for all of you iCurve owners.

How do you keep your PowerBooks from sliding off? The top part just looks like a slanted pice of plastic.

[logicat2001]

The stand has integrated silicone strips and they also include large rubber bumpers.

[Eomando]

Another person for an iCurve :)

I love mine to bits, and I'm missing it terrbly right now because i'm away from home and didn't take it with me...

Admittedly its the most useless thing in the world if you want it for your *lap*, but for the desk its superb.. It also has the advantage of bringing the laptop to a nice height for monitor spanning, and since i'm planning on eventually getting a nice apple display...well, it makes it all the nicer to have.

BTW, the laptops also really sturdy on them, the strips that're on the top grip the laptop really well.. After seeing my iCurve, my boyfriend went out and got one too, but he was ultra protective about his laptop and stuck the two supplied "bumper-like" ends on...which he regrets now since it was stable enough without them, and now his iCurve doesn't look as nice as mine ;)

[Palad1]

Rubbers.

I bought 4 standard rubbers, divided them in two stacks, and put them underneath the backside of my 15'' pbook.

It now runs 10 degrees cooler, and the screen is at eye level.

When using on my lap, I use a small cushion, and my future descendants are safe ;)

Sounds cheap, but I am, after all, I'm quite dry after buying a 3K€ laptop :)

[answer348]

I think I'm going to opt for either the iLap or something like the Coolpad. The iCurve looks nice and all, but I don't want to be bound to using externals all the time.

[Romulan]

I was gonna buy an icurve, but instead i built a sweet stand out of some wood that was laying around in my basement. :D . I saved some cash and it works great. :D

[aswitcher]

I still an't make my mind up about this. I use a couple of wooden coasters at present to tip it up a bit at the back but I really want to lift and angle it for when I get a wireless keyboard...

$90 AUD for a bit of plastic seems far to high...