Kick back with a kickstand perch for
your iPad
iPad stands come in a wide range of shapes,
sizes, materials, and prices, as you can see with these two. They both work in
roughly the same way, but while Element Case goes for luxury, Onanoff’s Dock
Minimal aims for versatility at a much lower price.
Joule
Ii And Dock Minimal
Each stand features a cradle for your iPad,
holding it in landscape or portrait, while a kickstand on the back of the
cradle adjusts to several viewing angles. Each of the six holes on the back of
the Dock Minimal holds the kickstand at a different angle, and you can get more
angles from placing the stand vertically on the table, although not every
kickstand hole supports the stand that way. A snap-off piece lets you install a
30-pin or Lightning cable, if you want to charge or sync. The stand will cover
the iPad’s speaker in some configurations, although it's usually easy to just
reorient the iPad to avoid this. As a bonus, there's even an iPad stylus tucked
into the end of the Dock Minimal's kickstand, so you always have one handy.
Joule
II
The Dock Minimal is hard plastic with a
rubbery material on the inside, but it doesn't feel as luxurious as the spendy
Joule II, which has a plush "micro suede" lining and a beautiful
exterior of CNC billet aluminum. From the precision-cut speaker amplification
holes to the graceful curved edge under the iPad’s Home button, every detail
makes this seem well-made and expensive. You can even get it in a shiny nickel
finish with leather interior for $40 more. The kickstand attaches to the cradle
at a hinge, so it adjusts to several angles and it’s easy to get it placed just
right. The speaker holes only come into play with the iPad in portrait
orientation (maybe for music, but never for movies, in other words), and they
boosted the sound a little but still not enough to make listening to the iPad
speakers worthwhile.
The
Dock Minimal is hard plastic with a rubbery material on the inside
The bottom line. If luxury is your middle
name, the Joule II may well be your iPad stand, and its quality won't disappoint.
But the Dock Minimal, works just as well, and we / love the hidden stylus.
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Joule II iPad
stand
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Element Case
·
www.elementcase.com
·
Price: $109
·
Requirements: iPad
·
(+) Tilts to tons of angles. Quality materials
and craftsmanship. Sturdy. Sized for iPad, but works with iPad mini. Nexus 7,
and others.
·
(-) Heavy. Expensive.
Dock minimal
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Onanoff
·
www.onanoff.com
·
Price: $39
·
Requirements: iPad
·
(+) Adjusts to lots of angles. You can install
your own charging cable if desired. Light but sturdy. Built-in stylus.
·
(-) Could use a travel case or place to stow
the kickstand during transit.
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