'Book Value
LapWorks iPad Space Dock Aluminum iPad Stand
Charles Moore - 2011.07.14 - Tip Jar
Popularity: 
Short link: http://bit.ly/p3ssTU
Rating: 
Now that I have an iPad 2, I
soon realized that I needed an iPad stand. Holding the little slab in
your hand or laying it flat on your lap or a tabletop just doesn't cut
it much of the time. The vast array of available iPad stands speaks to
this need, and you should be able to find one that combines the perfect
synergy of features and price to suit your particular needs and
taste.
One compact iPad stand that is thematically consonant with
Apple's 
design and materials conventions is the LapWorks iPad Space
Dock, which is fabricated primarily out of anodized aluminum - a
process analogically similar to Apple's unibody laptop construction,
and matches the back of the iPad 2
nicely. The Space Dock's main 6" long module is cut from a rod of solid
aluminum and given a brushed aluminum finish.
The Space Dock has to be one of the smallest iPad stands on the
market, at 1-1/8" high and weighing in at just 10 ounces. However, it's
still capable of securely supporting the iPad in both portrait and
landscape orientations in its support channel, which comfortably
accommodates either the iPad 1 or iPad
2.
The Space Dock's inside support channel is lined with velvety
material that holds the iPad comfortably and securely while protecting
its surface from scratching, as well as rubbery pads on the bottom to
keep the stand itself from scratching support surfaces.
The SpaceDock can also be used in conjunction with a Bluetooth keyboard, like my Logitech DiNovo Edge, to create a mini desktop configuration for typing input.
There are three different threaded holes for
the support arm to thread into, supporting incline settings of 58°,
62°, and 66° from vertical.
The
three-hole theme is repeated on the front face of the stand, with that
number of perforations to allow sound from the iPad 1's speaker to flow
through unimpeded.
The Space Dock's small footprint lets it fit in smaller spaces,
for example kitchen counters or mantelpieces, allowing your iPad to
serve as a digital photo frame on a bookshelf or, of course, on your
desktop.
I've found little to complain about with the Space Dock. It
supports my new iPad securely and is compact and light enough to easily
pack around when you go mobile. The only niggle I've been able to
identify is that if you tighten the support arm completely "home" in
its threaded attachment holes, the crossbar ends up off a horizontal
plane. Consequently, you're obliged to leave it about a fifth of a turn
"loose". This causes no functional difficulties, and there is plenty of
thread depth to ensure that it will securely stay put, but it bugs my
sense of precision.
The Space Dock's build quality and sophistication do cost a bit more; it lists for $64.95 but is currently on sale at $54.95.
On the balance, the Space Dock is, like the iPad, elegantly simple
in appearance, feel, materials, and design, and it should be extremely
durable. I'll give it a 4 out of 5 rating, and it would've warranted a
full five. 
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Charles Moore has been a freelance journalist since 1987 and began writing for Mac websites in May 1998. His The Road Warrior column was a regular feature on MacOpinion, and he is a news editor and columnist at Applelinks.com. If you find his articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Other articles by Charles W. Moore
- Avoiding Lion, Apple Refurb Value, Why Millennials Might Be Avoiding Cars, and More, Charles Moore's Mailbag, 2012.04.17. Also browsers and writing tools for iPad users.
- Could an Apple iCar Ignite Automotive Enthusiasm for Car-Indifferent Millennials?, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2012.04.10. Millennials seem far less interested in cars than prior generations. Could an Apple-themed car reverse that trend?
- Looking Back on 13 Years of Writing for Low End Mac, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2012.04.06. Charles Moore has been writing for Low End Mac since 1999 and seen a lot of changes - but not in the Low End Mac philosophy.
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