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MacAlly Bookstand for iPad: Short Review and *PICS*

Fraud

Just wanted to drop a quick note to thank everyone and add my name to the list. I too found fraud charges on my CC used to TRY buying the item directly. $150 to PSN (I don't own a playstation) and $1 to Microsoft Network.
Thankfully I caught them before they processed, but I had to wait 2 business days (found it on a Friday) to have my bank send a new card.
 
what kind of shady business is macally running??? i hope amazon orders would be safe.

is anyone else experiencing the high degree of wear and tear that the one poster mentioned?
 
Me Too!!

Z3roG33k said:
Just wanted to drop a quick note to thank everyone and add my name to the list. I too found fraud charges on my CC used to TRY buying the item directly. $150 to PSN (I don't own a playstation) and $1 to Microsoft Network.
Thankfully I caught them before they processed, but I had to wait 2 business days (found it on a Friday) to have my bank send a new card.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what happened to me!
Same charges for PSN and MSN.
Same outcome, too. Spotted it early and cancelled card.

Macally called today and told me the card # was not valid and so, they could not fulfill my order. I explained what happened and she did not seem too cocerned about the security breach. I told her to forget the whole thing.

I then ordered an X Gear Folio (direct from X Gear) with another card and it shipped immediately. Will have it in 2 days.

F**k Macally.
Latest reports seem to indicate the Bookstand is a flimsy POS anyway.
 
I've had my Macally Bookstand for two weeks now and to be honest, the quality of materials and construction are shocking at best.

Has anyone else noticed the microfiber 'slipping' away from certain areas as though it's come unglued from the cardboard front? My case also doesn't actually 'fit' the iPad either, it sits kinda wonky in there and the corner 'clips' don't actually clip. Also the edges are starting to fray and the stitching is starting to come undone. All it has done is been used as a stand and a cover when the iPad has been put in a bag - no 'case-like' activities at all!

I have tried to contact Macally (I tried to contact them when I got it, about the fit and the corner 'clips'), but now I feel like giving up and writing the thing off as a $60 loss (I bought it off ebay and picked it up when I visited the US. It seems almost a joke to bring it back to the UK with me).

I really, really wanted to like this case, but the fit and the construction are annoying me more and more each day, plus the cardboard fraying after two weeks of light use is unacceptable really. It's a shame, because this really is the only case on the market that looks how I want (I'd prefer tanned leather to be perfectly honest) and functions how I want.

It's a shame there isn't a leather case that folds the same way as the Macally 'BS' case does, or I'd have it in a heartbeat (price and availability permitting of course!)
 
Even though I got scammed by Macally's website, I was not deterred from getting a Macally Bookstand. Ordered it from Amazon with $3 overnight shipping. I've been using it for a few days and I can certainly understand the criticisms of the case by others.

What I like:
  • clean slick look of the case vs. the official Apple case.
  • nearly completely exposed edges. (The Apple case's speaker opening was ill placed and blocked most of the speaker, the excessive seam interferes with access to the buttons and rocker)
  • ease of inserting and removing the iPad from the case.
  • similarity in function to the official case.
  • vinyl strap that keeps the cover securely closed.

What I'm unsure about:
  • slight warping of the front cover. After the first 24 hours the top right and lower right corners of the front cover bowed upward. After the next 24 hours, the top right corner flattened out.
  • corner clasps don't "appear to be" sized properly. I say "appear to be" because it doesn't look like the sides are tall enough to fully catch but the iPad is firmly secured anyways.
  • looseness of the vertical hinge on the front cover. That's where it folds to form the stand positions. The Apple case has a stiffer hinge, the Macally BS is much floppier. Takes a little getting used to.

I'm pretty satisfied so far and like it more than the official case... time will tell.
 
I'll be selling mine soon if anyone wants it. I like the case but I want to get a leather case because it looks a little more "professional".
 
LOL

My God , this thread started off so nicely.

Now it's like " those ****** BASTURDS!!!! THIEVES! RIPOFFS! It's falling apart after two days. It's a flimsy POS.

Oh well :D
 
The black version is out now for those interested. I am still in doubt because of the durability issues. Anyone out there with an opinion on that?
 
My first one I got from onSale.com was falling apart when I received it and got progressively worse.

The second one from buy.com seems better better built and likely to hold up for the foreseeable future.
 
I've had mine for three weeks. No issues to speak of. I like how it doesn't collect any dust like my Apple case. I do wish the spine was a little stiffer but it hasn't been a problem. Overall a solid case if you get it on sale.
 
Had mine for two weeks and so far it works fine. I ordered from Amazon. I do have a DoDo case on order as well.

I have not had any quality issues yet.
 
Well, I received my Macally Bookstand from Amazon a few days ago and so far I really like the minimalist approach that was taken when designing this case. I am, like many others, unsure how the leather latch system will hold over time, but the overall build quality seems very nice. After owning the Incase Convertible Jacket, the difference is night and day.
 
So it's probably worth a shot. I do however want a black one. I wonder what the best place is to get it (internationally).
 
I have two bookstands, and no problems so far. The macally bookstand + STM jacket case is the perfect combination for me.
 
Update

I've had mine for two weeks now, here are my thoughts:

It holds the screen in just fine, I never worry about it falling out, but it's still easy to remove/insert. I've probably removed it/inserted it a half dozen times, but certainly not on a daily basis.

The quality is good. Stitching is fine, nothing is coming undone or unglued after regular use. I carry it in a backpack to and from work with other stuff rubbing up against it, and then carry it around by hand at work, and at home, and in the various configurations, and it hasn't shown any real signs of wear.

I actually like that the cover insert is a flexible material and not rigid. I still don't know what's in it, probably not cardboard, but the flex is nice when you have it on your lap, it bends a bit to your leg and doesn't feel like it could easily tip off. I don't have any problem inserting/removing the "leather" tab and it doesn't get in the way in any of the configurations. When closed, the cover is flat enough for me not to notice that it isn't perfectly flat. It's true that when closed it doesn't completely cover the iPad, the right side of the metal bezel sticks out, but It's not enough for me to care, and it hints to the curious as to what's inside :)

I think this design, as originated by Apple and improved on by MacAlly is the best setup out there for an iPad cover, and although I still paid more for this than I should have, I'm very happy with it, and haven't seen anything better online as of yet.
 
furtive said:
I've had mine for two weeks now, here are my thoughts:

It holds the screen in just fine, I never worry about it falling out, but it's still easy to remove/insert. I've probably removed it/inserted it a half dozen times, but certainly not on a daily basis.

The quality is good. Stitching is fine, nothing is coming undone or unglued after regular use. I carry it in a backpack to and from work with other stuff rubbing up against it, and then carry it around by hand at work, and at home, and in the various configurations, and it hasn't shown any real signs of wear.

I actually like that the cover insert is a flexible material and not rigid. I still don't know what's in it, probably not cardboard, but the flex is nice when you have it on your lap, it bends a bit to your leg and doesn't feel like it could easily tip off. I don't have any problem inserting/removing the "leather" tab and it doesn't get in the way in any of the configurations. When closed, the cover is flat enough for me not to notice that it isn't perfectly flat. It's true that when closed it doesn't completely cover the iPad, the right side of the metal bezel sticks out, but It's not enough for me to care, and it hints to the curious as to what's inside :)

I think this design, as originated by Apple and improved on by MacAlly is the best setup out there for an iPad cover, and although I still paid more for this than I should have, I'm very happy with it, and haven't seen anything better online as of yet.
Click to expand...
Well said. I really like how the iPad is exposed as much as possible when the case it open. Very, very low profile.

The longer I use the Macally Bookstand, the more I like it. The front cover is now completely flat. It appears that perhaps some glue shrinkage during transport was the cause of the slight curve, but after flexing it a few times the first day, it has flattened out.

I also notice that the front cover now completely covers the front. I think it was helped by a slight stretching or loosening of the left-hand "fold/hinge".

Just don't buy it from Macally's site directly...unless you enjoy having your credit card fraudulently charged.
 
TheLee said:
what kind of shady business is macally running??? i hope amazon orders would be safe.

is anyone else experiencing the high degree of wear and tear that the one poster mentioned?
Click to expand...

I'm the one who initially reported the shoddy build quality with the pics, and just on this page it looks like 2 other people have similar (if not the same) problem.

Here's an update on my issue:
I received my case in April, and a couple weeks later, called MacAlly to rectify the issue of the falling-apart-case.
It's now June—still no replacement case. I've been in contact with MacAlly every week, and get the same line about the case shipping to me the next day.
The girl in charge of the RMA's (Krystel) was kind enough to send me a rubber protector a week and a half ago (http://macally.com/EN/Product/ArticleShow.asp?ArticleID=319) after I asked for something to protect the darn thing until I received my Bookstand replacement.
I've been promised that it was going out today—we'll see. After all, I've been promised the same exact thing since April!

The bottom line? Wow, what I company! They will never, ever, ever get my business again. With that being said—I'll be offering that Bookstand for sale when I receive it, so hopefully somebody here wants it. Me? I'm going with a DodoCase.
 
Just registered to add to the conversation. I ordered from the Macally store at iUnitek before I found this thread, so I was fearful that something would happen. Maybe I got lucky, but everything seems to have turned out OK.

They indicated the black model was in stock, so I ordered it on the 6th. I called three different days, at three different times, to get a status update but never got anyone to answer the phone. Terrible service.

It apparently processed on Tuesday, though, shipped on Wednesday, and arrived on Friday. I've been watching my credit statement like a hawk since reading the fraud reports on this site, but haven't seen anything unexpected yet.

Regarding the black model, I think it's pretty great. An Apple case-owning friend commented favorably on it, and I hope they may have fixed some of the durability issues from the earlier batches of gray ones. It seems well made, for the moment, and fits nicely.

It did strike me as odd that Macally doesn't use the "Bookstand" name anywhere on the packaging (besides the SKU).
 

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GM80 said:
Just registered to add to the conversation. I ordered from the Macally store at iUnitek before I found this thread, so I was fearful that something would happen. Maybe I got lucky, but everything seems to have turned out OK.

They indicated the black model was in stock, so I ordered it on the 6th. I called three different days, at three different times, to get a status update but never got anyone to answer the phone. Terrible service.

It apparently processed on Tuesday, though, shipped on Wednesday, and arrived on Friday. I've been watching my credit statement like a hawk since reading the fraud reports on this site, but haven't seen anything unexpected yet.

Regarding the black model, I think it's pretty great. An Apple case-owning friend commented favorably on it, and I hope they may have fixed some of the durability issues from the earlier batches of gray ones. It seems well made, for the moment, and fits nicely.

It did strike me as odd that Macally doesn't use the "Bookstand" name anywhere on the packaging (besides the SKU).
Click to expand...
Very nice. Thanks for post those pics. Also happy to hear that you haven't had any problems with your credit card. If you haven't experienced any fraudulent charges then you most likely won't. The problem with their site is that the ONLY charge that was made to people's cards was a fraudulent one. No one was ever charged for the case itself (at least based on reports here).

Of interest to some might be your observations about the front cover. Is there any warping of the front cover or does it sit flat when the tab is inserted to keep the case closed? Are the corner plastic holders flush with the top of the iPad or are they lower? and finally, does the front cover fully cover the iPad or is there a slight gap on the right-hand edge?

These were all issue with early bookstands. It might be helpful to know if those minor issues have been addressed.
 
Nice I've been waiting for this, do you think you could take and post some more shots?

GM80 said:
Just registered to add to the conversation. I ordered from the Macally store at iUnitek before I found this thread, so I was fearful that something would happen. Maybe I got lucky, but everything seems to have turned out OK.

They indicated the black model was in stock, so I ordered it on the 6th. I called three different days, at three different times, to get a status update but never got anyone to answer the phone. Terrible service.

It apparently processed on Tuesday, though, shipped on Wednesday, and arrived on Friday. I've been watching my credit statement like a hawk since reading the fraud reports on this site, but haven't seen anything unexpected yet.

Regarding the black model, I think it's pretty great. An Apple case-owning friend commented favorably on it, and I hope they may have fixed some of the durability issues from the earlier batches of gray ones. It seems well made, for the moment, and fits nicely.

It did strike me as odd that Macally doesn't use the "Bookstand" name anywhere on the packaging (besides the SKU).
Click to expand...
 
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