Update on post #46, living with the long arm.
My fellow long arm searchers, it is time to update a post I made almost exactly a year ago here. I am not going to re-hash all the backdrop to this, so read that post for more context - this post is just an update.
I have now lived with this arm since late February 2010, when I purchased my i7 27" iMac. In general, it has been an excellent performer with some minor issues, and one larger issue - the tilter mechanism that's been problematic all along.
The good people at Ergomart kept working on a solution all along. I'm not going to do a blow by blow account of the various prototypes, but there were several. Finally, a few weeks ago, Ergomart delivered a complete solution - a double spring tilter that is absolutely up to snuff and performs brilliantly.
I can now unhesitatingly recommend this arm with the new tilter mechanism. It is the only option on the market that I could find, for a *long* fully articulated arm that can carry a 27" iMac.
A few minor niggling issues - in the interest of full disclosure.
1)The action in moving the joint closest to the wall/table mount requires rather more force than I'd wish for. There is a screw that is supposed to regulate the friction, but it's basically useless - you can pull it out fully, and it'll make no difference to the stiffness. Ergomart recommends lubing the joint, but I've done so and it's made no difference. It's not a big deal, you just have to put a bit of force into moving that joint.
2)The second joint on the arm - between the tilter and the main unit attaching to the wall/table mount - in turn, has the opposite problem. It's a bit too loose. Again, there is a screw to regulate the friction, but while somewhat useful, it does not fully solve the issue. Basically, on occasion, if you push the computer, it will have a tendency to keep traveling after you've stopped pushing. Again, not a huge issue, and most of time it's fully controllable.
3)The cable management system needs special handling. The iMac's cables are hidden in latching cable raceway pieces with adhesive backing, which you attach to the two units in the arms externally. The aesthetics of this are actually surprisingly fine. If you are getting a white arm (as I did), make sure you get white raceways, otherwise you'll get the default black ones. Also very important - Ergomart has no way of knowing how many cables you are going to run from your iMac. As a default, they ship a pretty small raceway - you really can't fit many cables in there at all. I solved that by simply ordering a bigger raceway in white from cableorganizer.com - I got the 1.5 X .75 INCH ONE PIECE 1125 SERIES SURFACE RACEWAY (5ft)SRLC1125SR-5FT WT-White, and the total came to $10.49 + 11.04 for S&H = $21.53. Totally worth it.
Bottom line: This is an excellent solution. A bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. And the people at Ergomart, from whom I bought this unit are extremely helpful. In particular, Mike has extensive knowledge of the product and is involved in the engineering, so this is the go-to guy. I am very, very pleased with this purchase and how the unit has been performing.
Frankly, I cannot imagine working with a shorter arm. Here are some pictures - go ahead and click on the pictures for a bigger version, to see the details on the arm. As you can see, I need every inch in extension, as otherwise my chair won't fit next to the commode. Note the double spring tilter. The arm is mounted on a wall track which in turn is actually mounted to a wooden window divider (I tested it to make sure it'll hold the weight!). I can swing it around and sit on the couch to stream a movie from netflix, for example. Or I can push it up and into a corner and put on a pretty display (Brian Eno's 77 million paintings) if I want to just talk to someone without the computer obtruding on the desk. More pictures in another post.
My fellow long arm searchers, it is time to update a post I made almost exactly a year ago here. I am not going to re-hash all the backdrop to this, so read that post for more context - this post is just an update.
I have now lived with this arm since late February 2010, when I purchased my i7 27" iMac. In general, it has been an excellent performer with some minor issues, and one larger issue - the tilter mechanism that's been problematic all along.
The good people at Ergomart kept working on a solution all along. I'm not going to do a blow by blow account of the various prototypes, but there were several. Finally, a few weeks ago, Ergomart delivered a complete solution - a double spring tilter that is absolutely up to snuff and performs brilliantly.
I can now unhesitatingly recommend this arm with the new tilter mechanism. It is the only option on the market that I could find, for a *long* fully articulated arm that can carry a 27" iMac.
A few minor niggling issues - in the interest of full disclosure.
1)The action in moving the joint closest to the wall/table mount requires rather more force than I'd wish for. There is a screw that is supposed to regulate the friction, but it's basically useless - you can pull it out fully, and it'll make no difference to the stiffness. Ergomart recommends lubing the joint, but I've done so and it's made no difference. It's not a big deal, you just have to put a bit of force into moving that joint.
2)The second joint on the arm - between the tilter and the main unit attaching to the wall/table mount - in turn, has the opposite problem. It's a bit too loose. Again, there is a screw to regulate the friction, but while somewhat useful, it does not fully solve the issue. Basically, on occasion, if you push the computer, it will have a tendency to keep traveling after you've stopped pushing. Again, not a huge issue, and most of time it's fully controllable.
3)The cable management system needs special handling. The iMac's cables are hidden in latching cable raceway pieces with adhesive backing, which you attach to the two units in the arms externally. The aesthetics of this are actually surprisingly fine. If you are getting a white arm (as I did), make sure you get white raceways, otherwise you'll get the default black ones. Also very important - Ergomart has no way of knowing how many cables you are going to run from your iMac. As a default, they ship a pretty small raceway - you really can't fit many cables in there at all. I solved that by simply ordering a bigger raceway in white from cableorganizer.com - I got the 1.5 X .75 INCH ONE PIECE 1125 SERIES SURFACE RACEWAY (5ft)SRLC1125SR-5FT WT-White, and the total came to $10.49 + 11.04 for S&H = $21.53. Totally worth it.
Bottom line: This is an excellent solution. A bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. And the people at Ergomart, from whom I bought this unit are extremely helpful. In particular, Mike has extensive knowledge of the product and is involved in the engineering, so this is the go-to guy. I am very, very pleased with this purchase and how the unit has been performing.
Frankly, I cannot imagine working with a shorter arm. Here are some pictures - go ahead and click on the pictures for a bigger version, to see the details on the arm. As you can see, I need every inch in extension, as otherwise my chair won't fit next to the commode. Note the double spring tilter. The arm is mounted on a wall track which in turn is actually mounted to a wooden window divider (I tested it to make sure it'll hold the weight!). I can swing it around and sit on the couch to stream a movie from netflix, for example. Or I can push it up and into a corner and put on a pretty display (Brian Eno's 77 million paintings) if I want to just talk to someone without the computer obtruding on the desk. More pictures in another post.
Attachments
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
