Customer Reviews

Griffin 1093-CURV2 Elevator/Computer Laptop Stand

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Length:: 0:57 Mins

I use this stand on a daily basis, and though my laptop eventually started to slide, I read in the instructions that I needed to clean the pads to rid them of dust and debris that can build up causing this. Now I do it every month and my laptop doesn't budge.

About an hour after leaving my laptops side I awake to a crash and realized that my laptop was no longer on my desk but on the floor. I had left the screen open with it on what i thought was a secure laptop stand. I closed the laptop and put it further up on the stand so i could see if it slipped down by morning. . .Well it did, the computer slipped a good 3 or four inches. This product needs some sort of lip on the end of it so the computer does not fall off. The previous clear model from Griffin had this and I am not sure by they decided to get rid of it. I am going to return the product. My laptop is worth too much to risk it falling again.

I got this product for my 15" Mac Book pro and was initially thrilled as it is a nice looking product that keeps the computer elevated at an excellent angle. But after about 4 months, I noticed the computer would start to slip down the stand, that the grip pads were not holding the computer anymore. Maybe the heat from the laptop melted the grip on the pads or something. After the computer slid all the off and hit my desk one night I just threw the stand away.

I was concerned about buying this stand based on the reviews claiming that laptops were slipping right off of it. This seemed like a small risk to me considering where I intended to use it. This, coupled with the $20 savings over the mStand I was otherwise considering, led me to purchase in spite of my reservations. I'm glad I did, because I love it, and there has obviously been a redesign of arms on which the laptop sits. Like the previous reviewer noted, Griffin has added plastic caps to the ends of these arms. I have posted a customer image in case this is unclear.

I highly recommend this stand; it is exactly what I was looking for.

Although I have used the Griffin I Curve (predecessor) for a couple of years now, I recently noticed my 17" Dell notebook was slipping off this stand. I was initially very pleased with this product, but felt compelled to try the successor product, the Griffin Elevator, due to the slippage. Initially this seemed like a dicey proposition, since several other reviewers have mentioned slippage problems with the Elevator. I'm not doubting their reviews, but I do think there are actually design improvements. Here are my observations:

1. The angle of downward slope from the supporting prongs is noticeably less on the Elevator. Conceivably, less downward slope translates into less slippage. The computer is almost parallel now, necessitating usage of an external keyboard. Previously, if the computer was angled forward enough on the I Curve, you could get away with using the notebook's own keyboard (at the risk of the whole thing slipping off). This means that an external keyboard is now mandatory. Fortunately, similar to the I Curve, there is plenty of room under the Elevator stand to store an external keyboard or other accessories.

2. The Elevator's supporting prongs have a "full-length" rubber-type material, as opposed to two silicon-type pads on each prong of the I Curve. Conceivably the longer grips should also reduce slippage. Perhaps keeping the rubber clean is the secret to success, since dust and dirt would decrease the adhesion of the computer. However, going back to the angle theory, I don't think this is essential. How can something sitting nearly parallel on a supporting stand slip???

3. The stand easily disassembles for portable use.

The I Curve wins hands down on aesthetics, with its gracious clear acrylic curves. I think most people would go for function rather than form in this regard. I'm man enough to edit my review if slippage becomes an issue. For now, I think this product is a winner.

Using it is great. It's elevated to the perfect height but my powerbook ended up on the floor in the middle of the night. Now my new hardwood floors are scratched and my powerbook and the battery for it are completely dented. I'm returning it the thing

They really do need to make a lip or use different grips or something.

These put me off buying this product at first. This was until I learnt Griffin has fixed the problem by adding clips to the end of each arm. This is a very clever addition and has given me peace of mind. Get this one, it's fantastic.

Bear with me: I'm giving a 5 to the original plastic version, because I don't own this one and Amazon wouldn't let me post without a rating. But I have some observations that might help shed some light on the one-star folks' experiences.

I bought Griffin's plastic iCurve in 2001 for my iBook. It was fabulous, and later worked beautifully for my more recently purchased black MacBook. After *eight* years of heavy use, a fissure developed on one side and it finally broke. So I'm looking to replace it with the same product and see that Griffin has moved on to a metal version. Great! But reading about all the slippage issues gave me pause.

Now, after looking at the very helpful video review, I just wonder what's gone wrong at the company between the designers and the marketing/documentation people. As someone commented in response to one of the one-star reviews, the product as pictured appears to be *upside down*! In the original, the surfaces that held the computer didn't have rubber all the way down; rather there were two distinct tacky rubber "bumps" on each arm. (search Griffin iCurve to take a gander and you'll see what I mean) The physics were better than if there were one surface all the way down each arm, and the bumps also served to guide your positioning of your laptop.

Thanks to Christian's unboxing, we can see that the new 1093-CURV2 has two "bumps" of grippy stuff on one surface of each arm and a fully coated surface on the other. Given how the original worked, I truly suspect that the *two bumps should be on top* (which is what the commenter, who owns one, asserts), grabbing the underside of your laptop, while the fully covered sides we see face-up in the pic should be on the bottom, protecting tables and desks.

Is this an amazing product *support* fail on Griffin's part? Yes! Is it a bad product? I bet not. I feel sorry for the designers, because bad documentation and marketing are maligning their product and making customers very unhappy to boot. Hell yeah, you should be protective of your expensive notebook computers! But Griffin protected two of mine wonderfully for eight years, so I'm giving the designers the benefit of the doubt.

I'm going to get in touch with Griffin and follow up here with an update once I hear from them. So if you're at all conflicted, ask them directly about this before you dismiss the product, because I can tell you that the concept is just amazing, one Griffin has executed very well in the past. Keeps the computer cool, is great to look at (the original was far prettier, but I'll live), and helps you make excellent use of your desktop space.

**UPDATED 9/19/09** Here's a response from the Griffin folks themselves. I wrote to ask about the concerns and my theory about the misuse, and apparently, my theory was incorrect :)
"Hello,

[...]

There were a few isolated reports of laptops slipping while in use with the Elevator, but in those cases, we had folks send the elevator back to us and we were never able to reproduce it in our lab.

Just to be safe, though, we've added a couple of optional clips to the Elevator package, little clear stoppers that clip onto the end of the support arms, just in case the laptop starts to slide. I've used my Elevator with my MacBook Pro for over two years now, though, and have never had a single instance of slippage.

Hope this helps,

[name removed]
Support Technician
Griffin Technology"

I have a rather small desk that I've got to fit a lot of stuff on and this gave me the space and lift that I needed. It lifts my macbook up so it hovers right above my m-audio keystudio at perfect viewing height and my usb guitar interface fits neatly underneath. Add the rolling shelf under the desk for mouse and keyboard and you've got a very functional, very attractive and very compact little amateur recording setup! Just a couple things to consider though: First, ONLY get this if you plan on either using while standing (e.g. DJs) or using a separate mouse and keyboard because it raises the computer too high to type on comfortably while sitting at your desk. Second, it is not at all adjustable and while it works perfectly for my needs, make sure to measure out your space before you buy. Here are some more useable dimensions then the ones provided by amazon: L(top) 10" x L(bottom) 8.75" x W 10.6" x H(front) 4.5" x H(back) 5.75"

PS. Since they added the caps at the end of the arms where the laptop sits, there is no way the computer is going to slide off. With this new feature, all the old negative reviews about slippage are now moot.