Just got this, & so far I'm happy with it. Here are my preliminary observations:
Pros:
1. Quite easy to assemble, even without the YouTube video (but watch it anyway.) Do not use a screwdriver at any point in the assembly or after - when you think you need one, use a quarter. The hardest part was getting it out of the box it came in - I had to use a boxcutter.
2. I am using this with a reclining chair, to which I am entitled as an old man. This stand very nicely positions my iPad Pro and my Kindle Scribe in reading/viewing position, just over the arm at its lowest positioning. This works for for looking down at my device as I would while reading a book. In fact, when I have the chair in a semi-reclinining position, it's just about perfect.
2. Very sturdy, and seems to have about every viewing position anyone could want.
3. The design makes the stand more unobtrusive than you would think for something so big. It doesn't disappear into the background, but it's not as obvious as some of the other stands with double joints & springs.
4. The stand holds my 12 inch MacBook for viewing videos, as long as I keep the keyboard more or less parallel to the ground, or not tilted too much, but since there's no support for my arms, it will not work for more than minimal typing. And there's no way I'd try to use the laptop elevated above my head - the clamps don't fit right for that. My wife's 13 inch MacBook Air fits the Platform, but is too heavy to remain level.
5. I was considering the LEVO G2 V16 but took the advice of someone in one of the reviews for this stand to get this one instead. I'm glad I did, mainly because of, as they suggested, the way the the doubled swing arm gives a broader range of adjustment.
Cons:
1. The tablet holder, which they call the Platform, is not entirely suitable for a Kindle Scribe, but it's good enough as long as you don't plan to elevate it above your head, as when you are lying in bed. At least, I wouldn't do that. Probably. YMMV. But the main problem is that the most secure positioning, which would be fine for overhead viewing of the Scribe, puts one of the clamps directly over the power button. If you clamp the Scribe into the Platform so that this doesn't happen, it's a bit insecure. Not enough to make a difference if it's perpendicular to the floor, or tilted back in a normal reading position if you are sitting on a chair or propped up in bed. So far, I haven't been able to remove any of the clamps to deal with the power button issue, although the instructions say it can be done. (NOTE: the pen that is used for writing on the Scribe has to be removed when the Scribe is on the Platform.) (Further note: my iPad Pro is held securely - I have one of the older 10.5 inch iPad Pros with the power button on the upper right edge and the touch button at the middle of the bottom margin, and both buttons are accessible.)
2. The clamp portions of the Platform don't hold the iPad/Scribe away from Platform. I'm trying to figure out a way to, in effect, make my devices thicker so that the clamps are less distracting to me. A properly sized trade paperback book behind the devices seems to do the trick without making things too heavy. [update: I’ve been using an empty dvd case for this function, & it works fairly well.]
3. I really wish that the base could be used without the wheels, so that it could be pushed in under my armchair. I don't need to roll the thing around, as I would if I were using it in a bed. As it is, the wheels elevate it too much to get the base under my chair, but if I take them off, the bolt holding the central column sticks out below the bottom of the base. (I'm hoping I can devise a wooden platform to place under the base, with a hole to accommodate the bolt, that will lower the base enough to let me get part of it under the chair, and still keep it stable.)
| Brand | LEVO |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 33768 |
| Item Weight | 4 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 24.5 x 17 x 6.5 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 24.5 x 17 x 6.5 inches |
| Color | Black & Gunmetal |
| Manufacturer | Levo |
| ASIN | B00DYTM9K8 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | July 16, 2013 |
