HARDWARE REVIEW

Star Base EasyChair WorkStation for laptops

RATINGS Quality Geekness

One of the joys of owning a laptop is the ability to use it anywhere you want. Surfing the Internet from your couch, doing your bills on your deck, anything you could dream up is now a possibility. One of the greatest pains of laptop ownership, though, is the one in your wrists from typing on your lap for more than 30 minutes. It's just not good for you. Then there's setting the laptop down to get up. Where do you put it? It can't go on the couch, not too close to your drinks on the coffee table, and certainly not on the floor. Last, but not least, there's the heat issue that's becoming more and more painful as laptop processors get hotter and hotter. Thank goodness for Mack Bailey.

Mack's in the business of making it possible to use computers in several situations. He assembles laptop stands, monitor stands, desktop stands, and lots more to make it possible for you to be the laziest ... errr, most productive couch potato you can be. His products are sturdy, gentle on your hardware, and feel like they'll be around longer than your computer. They're a bit pricey, but Mack tells me that the price is dictated by the quality parts he uses.

Set up
The interesting thing about the Star Base Workstation is that it's built entirely of standard parts. Mack has simply done the work for you of picking the parts, designing how these parts will fit together, and finding the parts at better prices than you or I likely could. You'll figure out what I mean as soon as you open the box. By the way, you'll probably need some help carrying that box around; among the parts inside are three 10 lb. weights, the kind you use with a weightlifting bar.

The bottled water is not included--I threw that in there for perspective. In no time you'll have your stand assembled, and it will be time to adjust it to your specific needs. It'll look something like this:

You can see that you have a rolling, 5-wheel base, kept from being too mobile by the 30 pounds of weight. You've got a hydraulic base that can extend to be taller, though you don't have the means to easily extend the base. You have a pivoting arm, with a second point of articulation where the laptop deck meets the arm.

In the version above you also have a cup holder, with two points of articulation. You can slide the cup holder in and out, closer to or further from the base or the laptop deck. The arm easily pivots on the base, turning like a clock hand, and a simple turning of a knob allows you to raise and lower the arm to a comfortable position. Once it's where you want it, just tighten the knob once more. The cup holder was much-appreciated, as there are no places near my favorite chair to set a drink down.

Here's my view of the Star Base while using my laptop:

I've got my iBook, my Vanilla Coke, and an easy way to swivel the whole setup away when I need to stand up. The laptop stays put at about two inches above my lap, not burning on my lap, and I can rest my arms on the armrests and type comfortably.

Field Usage
Unfortunately, this thing has to go back to Mack now, as it was on loan. I will sorely miss this laptop stand, though I must admit my fianceé will not. She is of the persuasion that this is not the most attractive piece of furniture, but she allows its use for the sake of my ailing wrists. She also admits she's jealous of the cup holder.

I've used the Star Base Workstation for a little over two months and I have not found any issues. The clamp that holds the laptop in place was a worry of mine, but I have had no problems whatsoever.

Ratings Defense
The Star Base EasyChair Workstation setup is ideal if you're going to be using a laptop at a non-computer desk seating place for long periods of time on a regular basis. For Quality, I give the Star Base 5 out of 5 Geekheads. This is a stand that works well and is built to last.

For Geekness I also award 5 out of 5 Geekheads. Come on, how much more geeky does it get? This is a device that makes it possible to use your laptop in any room in your house!

The Star Base EasyChair Workstation definitely gets a Geek.com Pick!

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