LapWorks Wizard Notebook Stand

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Notebook stands... blah. Hit your local electronics store and you will find dozens of them, all which share the same basic design and shape. Separating one humdrum stand from another is easy: differences may include color scheme, materials used, and if they cool your laptop passively or actively. Yes, quite honestly, it is rare that we come across something new and exciting in the notebook stand arena. However, when we do, you can be sure that it is usually an entry from LapWorks.

"LapWorks is a design and manufacturing company located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. We specialize in products that make working with your notebook safer, easier, and more productive. LapWorks is fortunate that our Laptop Desks have become the best-selling lap desks in America, selling more than 15,000 units per month. As of January 2007, we offer three Laptop Desks and by December 2007 we expect to have added three more Laptop Desks and one new desktop stand under the LapWorks brand. We want to become your trusted supplier for lap desks, desktop stands and notebook-computing accessories." Read more...

Check out the video.

We're no stranger to LapWorks products, having reviewed three of their notebook stands over the past year. But when they approached us about testing their new Wizard Notebook Stand we were really excited. The Wizard is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale market, and although there are good products to choose from, very few have a great degree of flexibility. If you had the chance to check out the video, you can easily see why we're excited about this particular notebook stand, and why college students or professionals that live out of a suitcase should continue reading about this product.

Specifications

Product	LapWorks Wizard Laptop Stand
Overall Dimensions	22" x 11-7/8" x 1-3/4" (L x W x H)
Table Top Dimensions	17-3/4" x 11-3/4" x 1-3/4" (L x W x H)
Weight	4 lbs. 8 oz
Color	Gun Metal Gray
Materials	Aluminum, Plastic & Rubber
Price	$99

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Everything about the Wizard is just, well, big. At 22" in length and nearly 12" in width, this product is not your ordinary notebook stand. This is a solidly built and rather heavy piece of equipment that will be able to handle even the largest and heaviest notebooks available. The Wizard boasts one of the biggest and thickest extruded aluminum plates of any notebook stand on the market. This greatly aids in heat dissipation, which helps to keep the laptop cool during operation. While we understand the premise of aluminum acting as a big heatsink to whisk heat away from fire-breathing laptops, we would have liked to seen cutouts in the aluminum panel itself to further help with heat dissipation duties. Simply setting a hot notebook against a flat surface doesn't solve the issue of hot notebook exhaust having nowhere to go but back inside the laptop.

A useful feature of the Wizard is the fact that it provides a wrist rest area for those people that desire to use this product as a lap desk and need support for their wrists. This pad is made of rubber and extends the entire length of the Wizard. We found the wrist rest to be very supple and comfortable, and deservedly so. The pad is rated at about 35 Durometers which is roughly equivalent to a quality gel seat on a bicycle. Using the Wizard for extended periods of time in a comfortable and ergonomic position with the pad supporting our wrists made for a very satisfying typing experience.

The Wizard features six all-metal legs which helps give the Wizard both its strength and its incredible flexibility. Coined as being "fully articulating", each of these legs are 12" in length and very strong. Utilizing a locking mechanism, these legs can be positioned and locked into place at any angle. When unlocked, the legs swing freely and can be rotated 360 degrees in either direction.

Our impressions of the leg locking mechanisms on the Wizard is a mixed bag. We fully appreciate the sheer flexibility that this stand offers through the use of these locking knuckles, but durability questions spring to mind almost immediately. While the rest of the stand is made of metal, perhaps the most important aspect of supporting a heavy laptop on this product is made of plastic. Yes, we are talking about the plastic knuckles that join each metal leg to the other. Throughout our testing, we never encountered a problem with these joints outright, although through heavy use we could see potential problems on the horizon. Quite frankly, we simply do not understand why the good people at LapWorks would use plastic in such a critical support area as they did on the Wizard.

Taking a peek at the plastic knuckle mechanisms, we can see that each of these mechanisms feature a handy degree readout with an arrow. These readouts aid in adjusting the angle of the legs so that each leg matches the other exactly. Nothing would be worse than adjusting your lap desk thinking it was level, only to find your laptop unceremoniously dumped on the floor because the legs were not at the proper degree inclination as the others. The other added benefit to having a degree readout on the knuckle is that it greatly aids in the speed in which the legs are matched. This means that guesswork has been taken out of the equation, and because of this, setting up the Wizard at a specific degree inclination literally takes seconds.

Our misgivings with the plastic knuckles aside, we found unlocking and locking the legs into place is a breeze, although with a caveat. Simply push the plastic button in once, and it automatically stays in place, which allows you to adjust the articulating legs to your heart's content. Once that perfect angle is achieved, press the button once more, and the button pops back out, thereby locking the leg into place. Or at least that is what it is designed to do. Throughout our testing, and on multiple occasions, we experienced no end of frustration on our part when the plastic button refused to pop back out. Pleading, cajoling, and a healthy dose of swearing refused to entice the plastic button to pop back out at times. In the end, and only with the patience of a true Zen master did we finally manage to get our legs to lock into place.

Our test bed laptop, a 17" Gateway 7811-FX, fits very nicely on the Wizard, with plenty of room on either side of the laptop left over. It is not inconceivable that a 19" or even a 20" laptop could find a home with the Wizard, as this lap desk can support notebooks up to 25 pounds in weight and 22" in width. This is quite an achievement, and we have no doubt that the Wizard can handle it, as it easily accommodated our 10 pound laptop with relative ease.

One of the best things going for the Wizard is its pure, unadulterated flexibility. With literally hundreds of positions available, it is nearly impossible to find a single position that the Wizard cannot be adjusted to. As an all purpose stand, the Wizard can be configured to sit on your lap, a desk or table, or even be adjusted breakfast tray style while you are sitting in bed catching some old re-runs of Gilmore Girls on the tube.

Looking at the rear of the unit, you can see that there is only a slight bit of overhang on our 17" test bed laptop. Owners of 15.4" laptops and smaller should not see any overhang at all, although people with 19" or larger notebooks will definitely see a substantial chunk of laptop real estate hanging off in mid air. Regardless, we don't expect to see any problems with these larger laptops as the aluminum panel is quite big and will very easily, and safely, accommodate these desktop replacement solutions.

Earlier in the review, we mentioned that the Wizard utilizes six, 12" fully-articulated legs for support. This means that when the stand is configured in the manner shown above, you can have a desk that reaches up to maximum height of 24". That is pretty amazing, which clearly demonstrates just how well built and solid this product really is. With 17" and smaller notebooks, we did not have a problem leaving the stand unattended, although for larger desktop replacement solutions, we would err on the side of caution and not leave the room. Aside from us applying a slight bit of side-to-side swaying motion to the Wizard, the stand continued to hold up strong, and we never felt that our laptop would come crashing down to the table.

LapWorks was kind enough to include six elastic bands which can be used to secure your notebook to the Wizard. Using these bands is a definite must when the stand is configured at very steep inclinations, for example, anything more than 40 degrees. It is worth mentioning that the bands can also be used to hold the pages open on a book while you read by placing the bands width wise across the Wizard's aluminum tray. However, great care must be taken when using these elastic bands, as the metal edges of the aluminum plate have cut two of the bands after two weeks of use.

Additionally, using the elastic bands can also impede access to your notebook ports. However, this is not so much a problem with the location of the ports on your laptop as it is with the placement of the elastic bands themselves, as these can be moved out of the way fairly easily.

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Before using the Wizard, it would be a wise decision to familiarize yourself with the various positions you can use the LapWorks Wizard in, as it can save you a few minutes, and even keep you from destroying your expensive notebook in the process. As you can see above, one of the extension legs is blocking the optical drive from opening all the way. This, thankfully, is nothing more than a simple inconvenience. However, other issues, while easily correctable, can have much more dire effects. Make sure the extension legs are set to the same angle, or you may be the new owner of a dead laptop when the unbalanced stand sends your notebook careening to the ground.

Another issue that needs to be addressed are the spring loaded buttons which lock the leg extensions in place. LapWorks would be better served by using a much stronger spring in the locks, as the current springs simply aren't strong enough. Additionally, and as we pointed out earlier, the plastic locking button system needs to be redesigned, as they require quite a bit of manipulation to get them to pop back out, locking the leg extensions in place. Other than that, the LapWorks Wizard Notebook stand is far more than a novelty. It is an excellent product for anyone with limited workspace, or anyone who works in a variety of settings or positions.

Our Recommendation

The LapWorks Wizard Laptop Stand is exactly the type of product we've come to expect from LapWorks: innovative, useful, well built, and attractive. For those needing a small portable workspace, or those working in different environments which might not be conducive to a typical notebook stand, the LapWorks Wizard Laptop Stand's versatility might be the perfect platform.

However, if there is a single, glaring issue, it is in the plastic hinges which makes the LapWorks Wizard slightly flimsy in certain configurations. The locking mechanisms, which are found at every hinge, seem like they might be easily broken, which could mean certain death for an expensive notebook if the 25lb limit is exceeded. We do not foresee this as being a major issue for everyone, rather it is something people might want to keep in mind when using the LapWorks Wizard somewhere where others might bump or lean into it.

In summation, the LapWorks Wizard Laptop Stand might be the perfect platform for a college student or professional who needs a small desk or working surface around the house, where a standard notebook cooler or stand might not be adequate. It is well built, strong, and looks great. While the portability and cooling factor may not be quite what we were expecting, the Wizard is an exceptional product, and offers incredible versatility, flexibility, and value to those that purchase it.


Pros:

• Large enough to handle the biggest notebooks comfortably
• Insanely flexible; can be set up at several different heights and angles
• The gun metal grey aluminum and black hinges are attractive

Cons:

• At $99 the Wizard Notebook Stand is expensive
• Too big to be a portable solution
• Durability is questionable
• Lack of laptop cooling

Other Reviews of Note

It's always nice to have more than one opinion on a component before you spend your hard earned money. For one, we may see something others missed, or vice versa. As with all reviews published at HardwareLogic, we'll not only give you our recommendation, but also point out reviews from some other great sites around the web.

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