3 October 2005
by Noah Kravitz
Reviews Editor

Ergonomics to Go

The XT-Stand laptop stand from Delta Design Group of Tawain is, simply put, the lightest most portable laptop stand I've ever seen. XT-Stand looks like something out of an aerospace R&D facility: it's sturdy, lightweight, and folds up for travel. The stand accomodates laptops from 12" to 19" in (screen) size, which means it will work with any Apple portable. If you travel frequently with your Mac and need a laptop stand that will stand up to the road without taking up space in your computer bag, check out XT-Stand. It's that simple.

XT-Stand is made from some 63 different parts made from stainless steel and titanium alloy. Surfaces that come into contact with your laptop are covered in soft rubber to protect your computer and promote traction and shock absorption. XT-Stand also provides for heat dissipation by completely lifting your computer off of the work surface and supporting it from four points. The stand comes in a "bulletproof" plastic case that also provides storage for up to 22 digital memory cards, which is a nice touch. The case actually takes up quite a bit more space than the stand itself, so you might want to consider carrying the stand by itself or wrapped in a cloth or pouch if you're trying to conserve space in your gear bag.

XT-Stand feels very solid in hand despite it's lightweight. The folding mechanism and telescopic legs have an air of precision to them, though the spring-loaded adjustment pins used to set the height of the legs might be a bit hard to use for folks with large or less than nimble fingers.

Using XT-Stand is very simple -- you simply unfold it, adjust the rear arms to fit the size of your laptop and extend the feet to the height that provides the proper screen viewing angle for you. I used XT-Stand mainly with an external keyboard and mouse connected to my iBook, as this is the way I generally use the computer at home. I also tried the stand on the kitchen table and in a coffee shop while typing directly on the iBook itself.

XT-Stand can't quite provide the same height that I'm used to from my Contour NoteRiser, so it's perhaps not the ideal choice for using your laptop as a desktop computer substitute. On the go, however, XT-Stand does provide those few inches of height and angle that really save wear and tear on your neck, shoulder, and back muscles if you use your computer alot. You're not going to carry an external keyboard and mouse with you on the road, anyway, so for travel purposes the XT-Stand provides about as much lift as you'd want from a laptop stand.

Whether or not XT-Stand is worth it's 60 dollar price tag is more a matter of how - and how much - you'll use it than if any laptop stand should reasonably cost that much. XT-Stand's design is very good and its construction is impeccable. The stand is what a travel laptop stand should be - lightweight, durable, and easily folded up and tucked out of the way when not in use. If you're on the road a lot and find yourself suffering in the back and shoulders from hunching over your laptop a little too often, XT-Stand may be just what the doctor ordered.

XT-Stand is distributed in the US by GJB Enterprises and is available for $59.95 (plus tax & shipping) direct from www.xtstand.com Canadian buyers can order the stand for $69.95 Can from www.xt-stand.ca. Compare prices at PCPrices.

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Noah Kravitz runs the Technology and Culture blog Threebase.com. He is an educator, musician, and writer who lives in Oakland, CA and is the author of Teaching and Learning with Technology.