Ergonomic Modular Stand for Notebooks - AWE13US product reviews

Though I didn't get much chance to really 'push' this unit to it's limits (Reviewers don't like it when you hand them wreckage for them to play with), I did at least get it in my mitts long enough to set it up, plug a few things into the laptop to turn it into the brain of a home theatre system, then reassemble the connections to convert my laptop into a desktop (external monitor, TV connection, keyboard, mouse, digital tablet and external media card reader). Throughout all of this, the stand took a few knocks, including a drop of 4ft to the concrete, and it withstood it all with good grace and sturdy durability.

One of the aspects of the design I really loved was the hole along the top... when the stand is closed up, this is an excellent, comfortable, and easily accessible handle. When open, it acts as a cable guide for anything that needs to plug in the back under the screen. Multifunctional design always scores well with me, so the fact that this unit was designed to accept the Chill Mat and port replicators from the same line... inspired. The downside was that it felt too light to really be as strong as it seemed, despite the evidence presented by gravity's attempts to take it from me earlier.

Overall, a truely excellent unit, which I think could only have been improved by some form of hinging on the bottom catch-bar, allowing the unit to fold up flatter, so it would fit into the laptop bag a bit better. So far the only thing I have found that will take a 17" laptop AND this stand, is a wheeled case such as the Targus Urban Roller.

When I was first offered the chance to give the Ergonomic Modular Stand a try, I wasn't really sure if I was that interested, after all, did I really need a stand, after being so used to just working with my laptop on my lap or on the table for so long?? It didn't take long for me to start wondering why I hadn't gotten something like this a LOT sooner! Old habits had me first trying it just on my lap, and typing up a few documents, and even for something as simple as that I found it far more comfortable than just having the laptop on my lap, as it meant I was able to have the laptop at a more comfortable height, along with being able to adjust the angle so that typing and viewing were both easier than they had been without the stand.
Next I plugged my tablet in, and set to work in Photoshop, again finding it easier to use with the stand than without. I was able to tilt the laptop screen like an easel, which made it easier to view the work being done, and still easily access the keyboard when it was needed. Setting it up on a table was pretty much like having a desktop machine, especially once I plugged a mouse in as well. Basically, no matter where you end up using this - on your lap to make normal use of a laptop easier, or on a flat surface to turn your laptop into a desktop machine, this stand is a great extra to have: sturdy, flexible in height, and really great when you include the Notebook Cooling Chill Mat with it!! All the laptop buttons are still easy accessible, with the stand being quite light and not overly large, so therefore easy to carry around, yet still big and sturdy enough to happily fit and support my 17" screen laptop.