Griffin's Elevator "Desktop Stand for Personal Computers" is an aluminum and plastic stand that elevates your notebook computer 5.5" in the air, affording more ergonomic positioning as well as the cooling benefits of increased airflow beneath the computer. Designed as a successor to the company's all-plastic "iCurve" stand, Elevator features a collapsible aluminum and clear plastic construction with rubber gripper pads designed to hold the front edge of your computer in place.

Assembling Elevator was a cinch. Lightweight and possessing a relatively small footprint, Elevator was also easy to position amidst the admittedly crowded cluster of cables and peripherals strewn across my workspace. The only catch came when I tried to get my iBook at the proper viewing height relative to my seated position. I have my external LCD panel raised about 6" or so off my desk on a monitor stand. As such, I needed to get my iBook's screen up higher than Elevator could manage; while some notebook stands offer adjustable angles and/or are designed to acommodate laptops with their screens open beyond 90 degrees, Elevator was made to hold your latpop flat, with the screen open to a right angle. As such, I couldn't get my iBook's display up as high off the desk as I could with some other laptop stands I've tried. The flip side is that Elevator's design allows for easier positioning of cables and even small accesories beneath the computer, not to mention the increased air circulation it promotes.

My solution? I wound up propping Elevator atop a small plastic shelf akin to my aforementioned monitor stand to give it an extra boost of a few inches. While this setup detracts a bit from Elevator's cool good looks, it gets my computer's screen up to a better height for me, which is more important.

I can't fault Elevator for the height of my desk, but it would be an even better product if it were height adjustable. Still, for forty dollars, it's an attractive, well-built product that will get the job done in most cases. Adjustable notebook stands generally go for quite a bit more money ( Macally's IceStation notwithstanding), so Griffin's definitely made a competitive product in the Elevator. Check it out if your MacBook could use a lift when you use it at home.

The Griffin Elevator Desktop Stand for Personal Computers sells for $39.99 direct from Griffin Technology. Elevator is also available from Dr. Bott and other computer resellers.