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Laptop Stand?, If so, Which One?

crdean1

crdean1

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 14, 2005
674
4
Texas
Hello,

I recently purchased a pb (at home I use a seperate keyboard and mouse) and have seen that many people keep them or reccommend keeping them on a stand of some sort for cooling (like iCurve).

Here are some questions:

1. Why would I need one, and which applications make your computer run hot enough to need this (surfing, ms office, imovie, iphoto)?

2. There are some real ugly ones out there that my wife would not go for, what are some of the best looking (non noticeable), most effective and decently priced stands (she likes to keep the desk very kept).

3. What do some of you use with your 15" pb and do you like it?

4. I love the look of the iCurve, but it looks a little high, is it height adjustable?

Thanks in advance for your advice, I have not been able to find much information about this.

Sincerely,
crdean1
 
There's a product by Vantec called "LapCool2"

It's really nifty. It acts as a laptop stand, it has an aluminum alloy faceplate and it has 2 quiet adjustable fans.

The coolest thing about it is that it has a 4 port USB hub on the laptop stand.

Now I can keep all my mouse, printer, 12-in-1 media card reader, etc etc stuck to the port and no longer have to constantly plug it into my powerbook when I bring it back from class.

Quite nifty! I recommend the laptop stand for this reason alone. Hope this helps
 
I've been through a few stands, none of them impressive enough to remember, and finally settled on an iCurve a few weeks ago. So far, I love it. I use it w/ an external LCD and bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I couldn't ask for a nicer setup.

My biggest fear is spilling a drink or something on my desk and having it flood into the fan grilles on my Powerbook. Living it 4-6 inches off my desk not only removes that fear, but gives me a place to stash my iPod, cell phone, and keys under the Powerbook. :)
 
I have the MacAlly IcePAD and really enjoy it. I was in the same situation as you with the 15" and looked at the iCurve as well. The iCurve looks nice "I guess." It didn't really appeal to me much though. I'm very glad I got the icePAD because my friend has the iCurve and it bounces!!! It's HORRIBLE! I'm sure many people out there do in fact like it, if they have one. But I hated it because everytime I touched a button on the PB, the whole thing would keep bouncing up and down. It also is way too high if you have it propped up on a desk. No, you cannot adjust the height on the iCurve, but with the icePAD you can. The icePAD also fold out flat which is nice if I'm using the PB on my lap because it gives me a space at the side to move my mouse around. I've noticed that the PB DOES run cooler with the icePAD, but I'm not concerned anyway because it is designed to be able to withstand a certain amount of heat.
The icePAD has worked well for me, it is also cheaper than the iCuve, at least it is everywhere that I looked. When you have the 15" on the icePAD, it is wider than the stand, so the icePAD doesn't even show up, which is fine since it's not the prettiest thing around. It is designed more for function than looks. Just test out an iCurve before you get one, it is more for looks than anything else, and I didn't like the bouncing.
 
KD7IWP said:
I have the MacAlly IcePAD and really enjoy it. I was in the same situation as you with the 15" and looked at the iCurve as well. The iCurve looks nice "I guess." It didn't really appeal to me much though. I'm very glad I got the icePAD because my friend has the iCurve and it bounces!!! It's HORRIBLE! I'm sure many people out there do in fact like it, if they have one. But I hated it because everytime I touched a button on the PB, the whole thing would keep bouncing up and down. It also is way too high if you have it propped up on a desk. No, you cannot adjust the height on the iCurve, but with the icePAD you can. The icePAD also fold out flat which is nice if I'm using the PB on my lap because it gives me a space at the side to move my mouse around. I've noticed that the PB DOES run cooler with the icePAD, but I'm not concerned anyway because it is designed to be able to withstand a certain amount of heat.
The icePAD has worked well for me, it is also cheaper than the iCuve, at least it is everywhere that I looked. When you have the 15" on the icePAD, it is wider than the stand, so the icePAD doesn't even show up, which is fine since it's not the prettiest thing around. It is designed more for function than looks. Just test out an iCurve before you get one, it is more for looks than anything else, and I didn't like the bouncing.
Click to expand...

The whole purpose of the iCurve is to prop up the screen to a more viewable level so you aren't looking down at it all the time (i.e. using it with an external keyboard. It is not designed to be typed on per se). It's worth every penny; it is a beautifully crafted piece - rounded with non skid areas..

e.g.:

Image-6A7AF08C89DB11D9.jpg
 
the iCurve, like iGary said, is mainly used to prop up the powerbook to eye-level, and make it more comfortable to use, and to also have good airflow.

attachment.php
 
Thanks for the replies, and the pics! I will do some more research based on your feedback, and anyone else, please feel free to provide your opinion.
 
i love my iCurve. It isn't height adjustable though. But, it really is an attractive piece of plastic. I keep my digital camera and my digital camcorder stored under it. I also added the bluetooth keyboard. I just plain love it. You can get one for like 29.99 from jr.com i think. Check them out... its really nice....
 
JeDiBoYTJ said:
the iCurve, like iGary said, is mainly used to prop up the powerbook to eye-level, and make it more comfortable to use, and to also have good airflow.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure your iCurve is upside-down :p
 
Duff-Man says....if you are using your laptop with an external keyboard and mouse as you say you are, then the iCurve is probably your best choice...for those that use the laptop keyboard and trackpad like I do, then I prefer the CoolPad....oh yeah!
 
h0e0h, thanks for the price info. They are ususally like 39.99. $10.00 off at jr.com. I think I'll go with the icurve since I am using the external keyboard and mouse. My wife liked it a little better than the rest, although the suggestions are much appreciated.

Later on, if I can find one on ebay, one of these would be cool along with one for the ipod:

http://www.dvforge.com/thestand.shtml



**BTW, dotdotdot, thanks for your contribution to my thread. It really helped me out alot.......or not.
 
I used to have an iCurve. I loved it; it helped me get rid of a lot of back pain after writing papers. You do need an external keyboard with it though.

As others have said, look around, you can find them for $30
 
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