Stand Firm with LapWorks

Using a notebook as a "desktop replacement" puts the screen at the wrong height, and the darn things tend to overheat. Solve both problems with the LapWorks Aluminum Desktop Stand.

In some circles, using a notebook computer as a “desktop replacement” is all the rage…and we have to admit the idea sounds nice in principle. Take all the power of your desktop computer with you to the library, a coffeehouse, a park, a colleague’s office—there are distinct advantages.

However, for many people one of those advantages is not actually using a notebook computer n a desktop. For one thing, there’s the keyboard: the first thing most “desktop replacement” people do when they plop down at their desk is plug in a decent USB keyboard. But there are other issues: those ultra-powerful portables tend to overheat when resting on a flat surface, because they lose airflow and the ability to dissipate heat out from the bottom of the unit. And the screen height is all wrong: for many folks who spend ours at a keyboard reading, surfing, or (gasp!) writing, putting a computer’s display below eye level is a quick path toward posture and back problems as users look down and increasingly hunch over as they use the systems. Ideally, most people who spend time at a keyboard will want the screen at or just below eye level, and it should be close enough that users can see it clearly without holding their head forward.

LapWorks‘ new Aluminum Desktop Stand aims to solve the screen height and cooling problems, while leaving the selection of a replacement keyboard safely in the hands of savvy computer users. The Aluminum Desktop Stand features a base of heat-dissipating brushed aluminum which adjusts to six different positions: three small incines to improve typing ergonomics, and three higher positions designed to raise the notebook screen closer to eye level to offer better ergonomics when used with a separate keyboard. The entire stand weighs just one pound, five ounces, and folds flat for easy storage or transport. The base features non-skid rubber feet and a built-in turning mechanism for swiveling the stand 260 degrees (just keep an eye on those cables), and LapWorks says computers on the Aluminum Desktop Stand can be up to 27 degrees cooler than the same laptop sitting on a flat desk.

The Aluminum Desktop Stand is available from LapWorks for $59.99 through May 31, after which the price will bump up to $69.99.