AAUG Reviews

by Ron Schoedel, AAUG Member

If I were to set out to design a perfect stand for using my MacBook Pro on a desk, I would stop what I was doing and go out and buy the mStand from Rain Design, Inc., because there would be no sense in reinventing what they have already perfected.

I work with my MacBook Pro on a desk throughout the day, with an external keyboard and mouse. Of course, using a notebook computer on a desk is not ergonomic unless you can elevate the notebook so the top of it’s display is approximately at eye level. I have tried several stands but none have really met my needs. My needs include cable management (a USB cord and a power adapter cord), elevation, proper viewing angle, heat dissipation and improved airflow around the computer, and–I’ll be honest–desirable aesthetics.

Rain Design, Inc’s., mStand came to my attention and I immediately recognized it as the likely solution to my needs. When the review unit arrived, I marveled at the packaging, which was quite reminiscent of the classy, yet minimalist, packaging for which Apple is well regarded. Nice packaging always gives a good impression. Once removed from the box, the mStand stands about 6 inches high and is built from a solid piece of anodized aluminum whose color perfectly matches the finish of the MacBook Pro or Powerbook G4 notebooks. For most of us, the sharp design of our Apple computers is one of the reasons we like them. Some of us even feel a twinge of pain when we are forced to pair our shiny, beautiful Apple computers with accessories that look second-rate. The mStand is pleasing to the eye and does not detract from the beauty of your Mac.

The design feels nice and solid, not flimsy like so many stands. I’ve tried some laptop stands that feel so flimsy and cheap that I literally feared they’d send my laptop crashing to the desk–or worse, the floor. I decided early on to not trust my $1900 MacBook Pro to a crummy $17 discount store laptop stand. I want a stand that will hold my ‘book stable and not make me fear for it’s safety. Again, the mStand meets this test. The surface on which the computer rests has four big rubber feet that grip the bottom of the laptop, and a lip in the front, with two rubber bumpers, that solidly holds the computer in place. In a wise design move, the front lip has a notch in the middle for easy access to your computer’s screen latch button. The IR port (for your Apple remote) and the DVD drive slot are completely unobstructed and fully usable when the computer is on the stand. This cannot be said for a lot of stands.

The material used is top-notch; no second-rate junky plastics or cheap rubber. The grippy materials holds the computer soundly in place, and that’s that. While no laptop stand is really made to hold a computer such that you can type on it while on the stand, for a few occasional keystrokes on the built-in keyboard the mStand holds the computer still and it doesn’t have the problem of “bounciness” that some stands have. The wide grippy rubber feet on the bottom of the mStand’s foot keep the stand right where you put it on your desk.

Next, the back arm of the mStand has a hole reminiscent of the aluminum stand of recent iMacs, through which cables can be routed. Such a simple touch makes a big difference, My power adapter cable and one or two USB cords can be tucked through the hole and then routed to their proper destinations without creating a tangle of cords emanating from the computer at all angles and from every which way. This is both functional and attractive, for sure. The wide area underneath the platform offers a convenient location to stow your keyboard or other accessories, to keep the work area tidy.

As mentioned previously, airflow and heat dissipation are also considerations when using a laptop whose internal temperatures can exceed well over 100 degrees F. You want a stand that will help air circulate around your laptop (so it doesn’t suffocate) and that will help draw heat away from it. The mStand’s all-aluminum construction acts as a giant heat sink, and its open and airy design keep your computer cool.

After a couple weeks with the mStand, I don’t think I could go back to using another stand. Rain Design has a winner here. This is the perfect complement for a MacBook Pro or Powerbook G4, as well as a MacBook or iBook. The aluminum look matches any recent Apple portable just fine.

I have only one minor quibble with the mStand, and that is related to the decreased opening angle of the new MacBook Pro laptops. When used with my older Powerbook G4 this is not an issue, but the newer computers have screens that do not open as far back as previous Apple models. This means that when a MacBook Pro is placed on the stand and opened to its fullest, its screen will be at exactly a 90 degree angle; precisely perpendicular to your desktop surface. Many people like their displays to be tilted a couple degrees further back. Because the mStand is a solid piece of metal, it of course is not adjustable to allow for a slightly more inclined screen. I solved this minor problem by adding a thicker rubber foot to the bottom front edge of the mStand, which corrected the issue for my viewing preference. Of course, if my desk were a bit higher, that would have helped, too, but it is already at the optimal height for my frame and work needs, so raising the desk would have introduced other issues for me.

If you work on a laptop for multiple hours every day and at a desk, I don’t think you can go wrong with Rain Design’s mStand. For me it is the perfect stand and has solved all the problems I have had with other stands I have tried and been disappointed with over the last year or so.