The Elevator from Griffin Technology, well there is no hiding that I love Griffin products, but maybe it has something to do with the ease of use, the winning designs, or perhaps that they are such a Mac friendly company. A few years ago I purchased an iCurve, which was and still is a beautifully designed stand, that I sat my PowerBook on, and it sat there at a nice comfortable height for working on at my desk. When I heard that a new product was being launched, I must admit to being a tad worried. With a design so good, why change it? How could it be improved.
So, onto the new product, the Elevator is made up of three pieces. A right and a left side support stand and a brace made of of clear perspex that holds the two supports in position. The support stand's are made of brushed aluminum and match the PowerBook, MacBook Pro and Cinema Display perfectly. They are also curved at such an angle that is just right. This coupled with the simple slot-in perspex brace, really compliments the simple, yet totally effective design.
I tested the Elevator with a small laptop, namely a 12-inch PowerBook, which sat just fine the two supports, so anything larger than this will also be fine. My main laptop is a MacBook, and I also use a 21-inch Samsung widescreen monitor. Sitting the two side-by-side, the top of my MacBook was now almost level with the top of my external monitor. So I now had the joy of using a dual-screen display in a comfortable manner.
Of late, you may have noticed that my reviews have been covering products that improve the way we use our computers. The Mirra chair just last week, offers improved sitting positions. Well, the Elevator is Griffin's most ergonomic offering to date, it raises your laptop up 5.5-inches, to a very comfortable working height. Use it in conjunction with an external keyboard and mouse, and you will no longer be uncomfortably arching your neck to view your laptop screen.
As well as the improved working position, you have an added benefit for your laptop too. The airflow is greatly increased, so your laptop stays a lot cooler.
So, the Elevator does much the same as the iCurve, but with more style. The supports also seem more substantial, and I would be comfortable perching a 17-inch laptop weight on top of this stand. If you use your laptop a lot at a desk, I cannot recommend this product enough. At $39.99 it really is a no-brainer, it is a sensible purchase, that does a job very well and looks cool at the same time.
Product: Elevator
Price: $39.99
UK Street Price: £27.00
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: +1 (615) 399-7000