The Underscore Archives

On 2 Jul 2008, at 17:29, Matt Hamilton wrote:

> Nice :) I'm thinking about something similar as I have MBP and
> external monitor, but still use the MBP keyboard, but thinking of
> switching to a dekstop keyboard so I can move it closer (without
> moving the screen closer too).  How simple is it to put the macbook
> on there in the mornings? Does it just simply sit there, or do you
> have to go through some rigmerole of unscrewing bits and clipping
> things?

A doddle.  I just plonk it on there and connect the bundle of cables  
(DVI, Gig Ethernet, Keyboard/Mouse USB)

	http://www.flickr.com/photos/_gid/2630806315/

There's a more complex arrangement of clips for use with a docking  
station (velcro, etc.), but the MBP is fine without.  You have to make  
sure it's positioned so the DVD slot isn't obscured by the pointy  
things at the front.

My setup (changed slightly, as I've moved the pole from the left to  
the right side of the mini desk):

	http://www.flickr.com/photos/_gid/2370081847/

Amazon wasn't the cheapest, but I ordered it on Friday afternoon with  
Free SuperSaver delivery, and it arrived the next day, Saturday  
morning, at 7.20am.

My only criticism is that it's not one of those gas-assisted jobs.  It  
uses a mixture of springs and friction to counterbalance everything,  
and comes with an amazing array of Allen keys to adjust tension.  As a  
result, it doesn't move quite as smoothly as I'd like.  However, it's  
about a quarter of the price of the equivalent gas-assisted arm.

Saying that, it's definitely good enough.

An added bonus is that the mounts are rotatable (although there is a  
locking screw), so I can turn the 22" into a portrait screen  
effortlessly, and then poke OS X's display prefs to rotate the image.   
That way I can tilt the LCD practically down to my lap and read a PDF  
file like a book.  Lovely.

Tom

-- 
Tom Gidden
http://gidden.net/tom