Today, I will be looking at LapWorks newest product the Aluminum Desktop Stand for Notebooks. Sure the name doesnt roll off the tongue, but you know right away what you are getting. Lets get started.
LapWorks Aluminum Desktop Stand
Reviewed by: Tomas Ratas
Edited by: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: LapWorks
One of my first reviews at DragonSteelMods.com was a Second Opinion piece for LapWorks – Laptop Desk 2.0. Prior to that review, I had never heard of LapWorks. After the review, I came away pleasantly surprised by the craftsmanship and quality of Laptop Desk 2.0.
Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
LapWorks Aluminum Desktop Stand
Features:
Cools laptops up to 23%!
Elevates the screen up to 6-3/4"
6 adjustable angles/elevations
Low angle mode for typing
360 degree rotation
Ergonomic design
Durable aluminum construction
Folds flat for easy storage
Cable management
Includes neoprene travel bag
Travel bag serves as a mouse pad
Fits any laptop
Our new Aluminum Desktop Stand doesn’t just look great! It offers the most elevation of any of our stands, raising your screen up to 6-3/4 inches! Raising the screen closer to eye level is an important step to prevent neck and back strain.
Aluminum dissipates heat quickly, keeping your laptop cooler. A thermal study conducted for LapWorks by the California Polytechnic University at Pomona concluded that the Aluminum Desktop Stand reduces heat build-up by up to 23% by virtue of its heat-absorbing aluminum as well as the incline which allows heat to escape. As an example, a laptop placed on the Aluminum Desktop Stand on the steep, 37 incline that raises the screen by 6 inches ran 27 degrees cooler (88 compared to 115 degrees at maximum temperature) than the same laptop set flat on a desk.
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The patented design and aluminum construction provides a sturdy, stable, durable base. Our Aluminum Stand has a built in rotating base that allows the stand to swivel 360 degrees for easy screen sharing. The swiveling capability of the Aluminum Desktop Stand may be limited with the weight of heavier (8 lb. plus) notebooks. Most notebooks with 17" screens or smaller are under 8 pounds.
Set the angle higher if you use an external keyboard or lower for more comfortable typing on your notebook’s built-in keyboard.
It folds to just 3/8 inch thickness for storage and travel. A special bonus is the included neoprene travel bag that can double as a mouse pad.
Aluminum has a unique ability to absorb and then dissipate heat into the air. This is why most heatsinks which are attached to microprocessors to keep them from overheating are made of aluminum. The thinner the aluminum the better the absorption/dissipation process works.
Dimensions:
12" x 9-1/2" x 3/8 "
Weight:
1 lb. 5 oz.
Warranty:
The Aluminum Desktop Stand has a one year warranty against defects in material, construction and workmanship.
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Find more LapWorks products at ShopZilla!
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A Better Look at Things
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The LapWorks Aluminum Desktop Stand comes packaged in a white cardboard box with a label adhered on the outside listing the features of this product.
Inside the box, there is a neoprene travel bag that doubles as a mouse pad. Within this bag, the actual Aluminum Desktop Stand is found folded totally flat to 3/8 inch. It is a very impressive and stylish package. Also included in the package are the instructions and four rubber foot pads to be placed on the top of the stand, to provide extra traction for the laptop on the stand.
Like the name of the product states the stand itself is composed of machined aluminum. The choice of aluminum for the composition is because the stand acts as a large heatsink to draw away heat from the laptop and into the ambient surroundings.
The base has a swivel to allow the Aluminum Desktop to rotate 360 degrees.
The stand weighs a featherlike 1 lb 5 oz and can support up to 8 lbs. When the laptop is sitting on the stand, you may not even notice it unless you view the stand and laptop form the side or rear. There are six adjustable angles/elevations to choose from.
Find more LapWorks products at ShopZilla!
Installation, Testing and Comparison
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Installation is very simple. Flip the folded stand open, then fold it back onto itself while raising the high or low adjustment plate to set up the proper angle for you laptop to be used at. The high angle position is recommended if there is an external keyboard used, while the low angle is for direct use of the laptop.
Once the Aluminum Desktop Stand is open, just make sure the stand is securely locked into one of the angle positions and rest your laptop down upon the product. Told you it was simple. The included rubber pads may be attached to the upper surface of the stand. The rubber feet serve two purposes, one is to keep the laptop from moving and second it causes an air space between the laptop and the stand to ventilate and cool the notebook.
For testing, I once again will use my trusty MacBook Pro (Featuring CoreDuo @ 1.83, @ GB DDR2, 80 GB HD, 15 inch monitor). The MacBook Pro is one of the hottest laptop I have ever encountered.
In fact Apple released a statement saying that Macbook are not meant for laptop use.
Here is a quote from Apple:
Do not leave the bottom of your MacBook in contact with your lap or any other surface of your body for extended periods. Prolonged contact with your body could cause discomfort and potentially a burn.
The primary site for heat emission is at the hinge where the monitor and keyboard meet. To test the MacBook Pro temperature, I will be using CoreDuoTemp (http://macbricol.free.fr/coreduotemp/).
To elicit some toasty temps on the CoreDuo MacBook Pro, I used Handbrake (http://handbrake.m0k.org/) to encode a DVD into an mp4 file. Typically, converting a DVD using the iPod preset, takes about two hours.
During the process, the temps ranged from 58-79 degrees Celsius. There was no measurable temperature difference using the MacBook Pro with or without the Aluminum Desktop Stand. However, to the touch, the MacBook Pro was definitely cooler.
Once, the correct angle for viewing and typing is found, you will wonder why you never used a device like this before. Ergonomically, the stand relieves a lot of neck and wrist strain that is typically involved with using a laptop. Plus the carrying case doubles as a large mouse pad.
Storing the unit is simple as the stand becomes totally flat and will fit in most laptop bags without taking up much room. Plus weighing in at slightly over a pound, the stand will not put on strain on your back or shoulders when carried in the laptop bag.
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Summary:
Once again, I have come away very impressed with a LapWorks device. This time function is matched by the elegant form, ease of use and portability of the Aluminum Desktop Stand. The design of the stand is sophisticated looking to match almost any modern laptop.
DragonSteelMods gives the LapWorks Aluminum Desktop Stand a 5 out of 5 score.
Pros:
Light Weight
Elegant Appearance
Can be used in conjunction with external keyboard or with laptop by itself
Offers ergonomic benefits
Helps keep laptop cooler
Nice carrying case which can double as a mouse pad
Cons:
None
Find more LapWorks products at ShopZilla!
I would like to thank LapWorks for the chance to review the Aluminum Desktop Stand for Notebooks and for their support of DSM.