Griffin Tech. iCurve Invisible Laptop Stand

Griffin Technology iCurve

Strengths: Stylish, cheap, more airflow

Weakness: None.

First, the weakness almeyerx posted "hard to type on" was hilarious. Of course you're not suppose to type on the notebook while it is on the iCurve! iCurve 2 = Elevator. It is $40 shipped directly from Griffin. I purchased a brand new iCurve for $30 shipped USPS Priority. Guess you can say that I'm lucky. eBay has them for over $40 which is a bit ridiculous. The iCurve looks much better than the...
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First, the weakness almeyerx posted "hard to type on" was hilarious. Of course you're not suppose to type on the notebook while it is on the iCurve!

iCurve 2 = Elevator. It is $40 shipped directly from Griffin. I purchased a brand new iCurve for $30 shipped USPS Priority. Guess you can say that I'm lucky. eBay has them for over $40 which is a bit ridiculous. The iCurve looks much better than the Elevator but both serve the same purpose. I just place the Macbook on the iCurve and use the Apple Wireless BT keyboard to type and my Samsung SyncMaster 931BW 19" widescreen. Perfect!!

By phungy - Jan 5, 2007

Creative & very Apple-sih like name

Strengths: Props display up for easier viewing

Weakness: hard to type on

This product is great for people who like the convince of a laptop but the convineces of a desktop also. It keep the display at a very good eye level making it easier on ones eyes. Also, it is basically required you need a keyboard and mouse with this product becasue it is hard to type on the laptop while it is on the stand.

By almeyerx - Aug 9, 2006

Better than expected

Strengths: Attractive, raises laptop up to a comfortable viewing height

Weakness: Expensive, laptop bounces a bit.

There's a lot to like here. The stand has a clean, classy look. I didn't really think about the viewing height when I bought it, but I'm finding that having the screen at eye level is MUCH more comfortable. I worried that the laptop might slide off the angled arms, but the gripping pads on the arms hold it very solidly. But....I really wish that they'd put some support under the front of the...
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There's a lot to like here. The stand has a clean, classy look. I didn't really think about the viewing height when I bought it, but I'm finding that having the screen at eye level is MUCH more comfortable. I worried that the laptop might slide off the angled arms, but the gripping pads on the arms hold it very solidly.

But....I really wish that they'd put some support under the front of the arms. I use an external keyboard and mouse on my desk, and when I type, there's a slight but noticeable bounce. It's kind of annoying to have the screen jiggling around. I have a light touch on the keyboard, and I'm sure that the bouncing would be much worse if you pound away at the keyboard as many people do, or if you do anything that shakes the desk.

By lmalchiodi - Jul 13, 2006

A Near Perfect Product

Strengths: Looks. It's designed for Apple products, what more needs to be said. Allows you to use a wireless keyboard/mouse and use your laptop more easily in desktop environments.

Weakness: Price. This thing is great, but not worth more than $20 in my opinion (Apple good looks or not!). Could have included more grip pads.

Great idea, even if slightly overpriced. Well-designed and looks great on a desk. Performs just as advertised. Simple yet functional and not just for Mac laptops. I use mine with an Acer notebook and Logitech Cordless Desktop MX3100 wireless keyboard/Mouse combo.

By Mr. E - Jul 8, 2006

Stylish spine support

Strengths: Very functional, a few non-obvious benefits, pleasing aesthetics

Weakness: List price seems expensive for what is essentially a single lump of moulded plastic, however nice it may be.

My first reaction upon learning about the iCurve was "It's ok, but $40 for a nonessential lump of plastic?" Even though my MacBook Pro is my primary machine, I didn't feel I needed such a stand as I've been using laptops on the bed and on my desk for years without giving a stand a second thought. Besides, I could always use a stack of old textbooks to prop the thing up if I needed to, right? The...
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My first reaction upon learning about the iCurve was "It's ok, but $40 for a nonessential lump of plastic?" Even though my MacBook Pro is my primary machine, I didn't feel I needed such a stand as I've been using laptops on the bed and on my desk for years without giving a stand a second thought. Besides, I could always use a stack of old textbooks to prop the thing up if I needed to, right?

The iCurve went on sale for $20 a few weeks ago, and since I'd just purchased an external keyboard and mouse (primarly to save wear and tear on the MacBook Pro), I decided to pick up an iCurve as well. With some surprise, I have to say it's an absolute joy to use:
1) It does a good job of raising the screen to eye level, which makes an amazing difference in comfort. My upper back/neck don't get fatigued as much any more, making it possible to sit comfortably for longer periods at the desk. (I actually have the iCurve propped up on a single encyclopedia for added height, but this isn't a problem; I wouldn't want the iCurve to be any taller really.)
2) Having the laptop body/built-in keyboard tilted down slightly (as the iCurve does) has two added benefits: a) it keeps the laptop body/built-in keyboard from interfering with your field of view and b) the laptop body can be used as a stand for papers/light books-- perfect for when you're transcribing things.
3) There's a large space under an iCurved laptop which can be used to store your external keyboard and mouse, usb hub, or external hard drive. This frees up desk space.
4) It does seem to allow more airflow and thus lower laptop temperatures. Not a major concern, but a valid minor benefit.
5) It's steady and sure-footed, but light enough to easily swivel around on the desk. (And since every laptop naturally allows you to tilt the screen, the setup ends up being quite adjustable!) While the stand is indeed grippy, do note that you definitely must use this with an external keyboard and mouse.
6) It looks great! Far better than any other laptop stand I've seen.
7) Since it's so simple-- one piece of durable plastic-- there aren't many parts that can get broken. I expect this to last a long time.

Arguably, the iCurve thus beats a stack of books on at least 5 of the 7 points above, and has no drawbacks. It's so nice to have that I hope to take it with me when travelling, even though it's a bit large, oddly-shaped and obviously not foldable.

Thanks to PriceGrabber, you can probably find this product for $20-$30 shipped. At that price, I'd say it's a must-have for laptop owners who aren't able to make their own knock-off. :-)

By sky7i - Jul 1, 2006