I purchased this for use with a MacBook Pro 15". I totally agree that the stand is of very high quality and beautifully designed.
Unfortunately, I haven't found the product useful because the "slope" of the mStand is quite steep and the lid of the MacBook Pro cannot be pushed back very far. Sitting at my desk, I would need to open the laptop a bit further to get the screen angle just right, but I cannot push the MBP screen back any further, unfortunately, and the mStand's angle is fixed, so...
This product would be very good with a laptop where you can push the screen open to a fairly wide angle or where the balance of screen angle, mStand angle, chair-desk-your height are all perfectly aligned. Otherwise, the mStand won't work so well "out of the box" and you might need to "help" it by placing things under it to play with the height further, thereby distracting from the "clean" design.
Yes, the latch of the MBP is covered by the "lip" of the mStand, so you'd have to lift the laptop off the stand to open the computer or just leave it permanently open or not quite fully closed. Having said this, the optical drive is completely accessible when using this stand, not covered by the lip at all. mStand Laptop Stand By Rain Design
I saw many of the reviews who had used this with a 15" laptop, and wondered how well it would work with my 17" MBP. I don't know anyone that owns one, so I was a little uncertain. No worries - it works PERFECTLY! See the image I loaded that shows it in use, along with a 22" Gateway monitor, and a 24" HP monitor that complete my workstation.
The design leaves room underneath the unit, which is great for extra storage, or sliding a keyboard under (although it's not quite high enough if you tried to type under it). Solid construction that should last, quite simply, forever. The unit positions the laptop's screen to a height that works perfectly with my other external monitors.
Interestingly enough, the packaging it came in even reminded me of how Apple would have packaged it. It's a wonderful product that fills an obvious need, and is one of those "why didn't I think of that" items. Simple design, beautiful, and very functional.
There's not much to say that hasn't been said before. This is an excellent product that keeps my MacBook Pro nice and cool. There is indeed a notch cut out now toward the bottom so you can now open and close the lid without lifting the laptop out of the holder.
Well worth the money, and probably the best MBP stand out there. Lowered my idle temperatures about 6 degrees over the Logitech Alto Express stand. Boy did my MBP get warm sitting on that puppy, plus you couldn't eject discs while using it. Wish I hadn't wasted the money... You live and learn!
Bottom line: Buy the Mstand. It's superb.
I have been happy with this stand. Some of the pros:
* attractive
* even though it's not adjustable, it seems to be at about the right height
* sturdy
Only one con:
* This stand is advertised as acting as a heat sink. It does seem to keep the laptop cooler than sitting on the desk, but it does not in any way act as a heat sink. The laptop is separated from the stand by rubber pads and there is no metal-to-metal contact, so heat transfer from the laptop chassis to the stand is almost non-existent.
It truly looks like it was made for my macbook pro, beautiful design. I like the angle just fine and it is so much better than a flat stand.
They just fell short in a few, important, areas.
- The hole in the back, the one used for cord maintenance, isn't wide enough for my DVI monitor cable.
- While there is now a cutout for the lid release, and it works...it should be wider and lower so I don't have to wiggle my finger in there to open it.
So it looks hot...but functionality wise they just missed a few key points. Rain, if you're listening...use your products before you put them to market.
The MacBook Pro (today's laptops in general) generates a lot of heat. Heat is bad for computers and decreases performance and shortens the lifespan of internal components, so cooling is an important consideration. This stand is all aluminum, so it essentially acts as a giant heat sink for the MacBook. The aluminum skin of the MacBook conducts heat to the stand, and the stand dissipates it into the air.
It raises the screen closer to eye level for comfort and correct posture. Ideally, you should have an external keyboard and mouse hooked up also, since using the laptop's keyboard while it's elevated increases strain on your shoulders. Elevating the laptop also allows air to flow under the unit. Before this, I sometimes raised my Mac on top of some paperbacks.
I now have 2 of these: one for home and one for the office. $50 may seem a bit pricey, but i think it's worth it. It's one solid piece of aluminum and durable. One little annoyance is the design of the front protrusion. The notch is not wide enough for my preferences (only the width of 1 finger) and requires a bit of attention to open the MB.
the picture on Amazon does not show the notch.
Just got it today and what a beautiful stand. It made my 15 inch MacBook Pro looks so stunning. It gives it a floating look that is very modern. Looks like it was designed by Apple because the color matched perfectly with MBP. Even the box that it came in was high quality. I am very happy with the height.
I would give it 5 stars but gave 4 because you can't get to the push button to open your MBP. I am leaving the lid open. Maybe this is a good thing because open and close the lid every day could weaken the slots :)
Very happy and very very nice looking. It gives my MBP an even more WOW factor.
Isn't it nice to order a product, receive it, really like it, and not have to send it back. I'm pretty picky, but the Mstand exceeded my expectations. Not only does it look as if it was designed exclusively for the Macbook Pro, it is very functional as well. Accessing the DVD drive slot and release latch are no problem. My biggest fear was that the angle of the stand was such that even with the screen fully opened, it would be less than vertical, but this is not a problem. Trust me, I looked at more than a dozen different stands before settling on the Mstand, and I am absolutely satisfied. Ignore the gripes for other reviews - if the Mstand doesn't do it for you, then I don't know what will. - Apple - Notebook Stand - Mstand - Laptop Stand'
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