Customer Reviews

Twelve South BookArc for MacBook Pro

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

At first, I thought this stand was a bit overpriced. After I bought it and realized that it was made from solid metal, I'm willing to forgive the price. This item is solid and won't be breaking anytime soon.

I use it for my 13" MacBook Pro. One of my initial concerns was whether it would still hold my MBP since I have the Speck hardshell cover on it. Fortunately, it comes with three different silicone inserts for the stand and I'm using the largest one without any difficulty at all.

Put simply, it is a great stand and well worth the price I paid for it.

In spite of the high price tag, I bought the BookArc to clean up my desk space in my home office. As you can tell from the pictures and Twelve South's reputation, it's definitely an attractive accessory to have sitting around. It's also clearly functional. It's a pretty simple task, and it does it well, with my 13" MacBook Pro.

I say it's 98% perfect, because it has two flaws. First, let's be honest -- the price is a bit ridiculous for a piece of metal with a slot. Second, if you place your laptop into the BookArc as shown in all the marketing pictures (i.e., with the hinge down), newer models will potentially overheat, since they vent through the hinge. I had read something about that in passing but forgot about it until yesterday, when I heard my laptop's fan going like there was no tomorrow. I felt under the BookArc and, sure enough, it was very hot. I simply flipped the laptop over so that the hinge faced up, though, and the problem was solved. It's just something to keep in mind.

This stand is really great. Keeps my 17 macbook pro cool and I have more room on my roll top desk. The only draw back is you have to remove it from stand in order to boot computer. this is a must have if you need room on desk.

It's a beautifully designed and manufactured item, just as other reviewers have noted. However, the new 13" MacBook does not fit snugly in it -- standing at a slight angle and wobbling 10-15 degrees when touched. Below is the response I received from the manufacturer when I reported this, which you should at least read before buying. I'm planning to try their "layers of tape" advice and hopefully keep mine.

THEIR EMAIL TO ME:

The #4 is the insert that was developed for use with the new, unibody MacBook Pros. These MacBooks are a bit thinner than the earlier, non-unibody versions.

We have heard from a few customers that the #4 insert is a little looser than they would like. This is an intentional design decision. It is important that the stand never grip the laptop. To do so would mean that the user would not be able to quickly and easily remove the laptop from the stand with one quick motion of the hand. Rather, he would have to hold on to the stand with one hand and pull the laptop out of the stand with the other.
An insert that gripped the laptop, even gently, would also mean the insert would be at risk of pulling loose from the stand when the computer was repeatedly removed causing the user to constantly have to re-seat the insert. Or worse, this could cause the insert to constantly pull loose and risk scratching the laptop cover.
With the #4 insert, if you place the laptop in the stand in a straight up-right position, it should stay in that position unless the laptop is pushed or the desk is jostled or bumped. The ability to shift the MacBook is due to the fact that the edges of the laptop are slightly rounded.
However, we've also heard from a few users who have made a slight alteration to the BookArc to snug up the fit. They have removed the insert and layered tape along the inside edge of the BookArc, then put the insert back in. Although this makes those tolerances outside our comfort zone, if you choose to do this, I would caution you to not get it so tight that the MacBook hangs up when you remove it from the stand.

All this being said, if you are unhappy with the function of this item, we would encourage you to return it to the place where it was purchased for a refund. We want you to love all of your Twelve South products!

If you use your macbook pro closed with an external monitor, get this! It's beautiful, it highlights and compliments the great industrial design of the MacBook, and it save desk space.

There is no denying that Twelve South does a great job creating accessories which match any piece of Apple hardware. This BookArc is no exception. It's solid - formed from a heavy piece of metal. The inserts to hold your notebooks are firm yet gentle enough for the exterior of your notebooks. I only wish that the inserts would actually hold my MacBook Pro closer to vertical. You know... Just like the marketing photos the company uses to sell these things. I've tried each of the included inserts and all of them have a gap on either side. Because of this, my MacBook Pro sites at an angle. If I fidget with the stand inserts by pressing them against the notebook, it will stand vertical for a little bit before the notebook slides and falls back from vertical. For the price, I would have expected the company would test the stand to make sure the marketing photos actually depict what consumers will actually get.

I will probably be returning my BookArc. My primary qualm is with the rubber inserts. When I ordered this thing, I pictured in my mind my MacBook Pro being gripped slightly by the rubber insert. That is, I figured it would be gently grasping my laptop to the point where it would take a tiny bit of force to pull it out.

But my experience is that my MacBook sits in the BookArc with approximately 10-degrees of room to 'sway' side-to-side. Granted, this is not a huge deal but I would prefer not allowing my unibody computer to rest tilted, even if it is slight, while sitting in the BookArc.(Yes, I'm being rather picky ...) I don't think I'd be returning it if my MacBook was firmly gripped in the BookArc.

All of that said I think this company made a quality product and it seems they are on the right track, so I've given four-stars. It's just not quite what I expected.

PS: Yes, I checked and double-checked that I was using the correct insert.

I like this stand a lot. I have one for my MacBook polycarb and one for my MacBook Pro 13. It lives up to the manufacturer's claim of beauty and freeing up desk space. For beauty it looks like an Apple product, very clean and well machined. You pay the price. $50 is not cheap, but I feel I got my money's worth. Also the vertical profile takes up a lot less desk space, of course, than lying the laptop flat on its back.

I bought this arc more to control temperature than for beauty or cleaning up my desk. In "clamshell" mode, running the laptop closed, the temperatures of internal components rise significantly because the keyboard area actually servers as a giant vent when the laptop is used open. So when its closed I can see the CPU temperature go from a comfortable 120 to 130 F up closer to the danger area of 200. The arc lets me expose the whole outside of the computer, especially the hotter bottom, and keep the CPU about as cool as running open. So for keeping the machine in good health I am very happy with my BookArc.

I review it at 4 starts rather than 5 because the fit for the MacBook Pro is a bit sloppy. The computer can easily wobble side to side. Don't let that deter you from buying. We're talking millimeters of wobble. It's just that they got the MacBook polycarb and the MacBook Air fit just right so I think they should have done the Pro better. And that's especially so because I would expect most of the buyers of this Arc to be Pro owners (since the Pro is the best Apple laptop for running external monitors).

Anyway nice products and for me this is the best accessory for running "clamshell". Also I wouldn't run in clamshell without this or something to expose the bottom of the machine to open air, because, as I mentioned, of internal heat.

Although the BookArc seems to be marketed primarily to give more workspace on a crowded desk, I purchased it so that I could store my Macbook Pro beside an easy chair when i'm not using it to surf the net, do e-mail, work with iPhoto, pay bills, or engage in similar activities. The BookArc perfect for that use--takes up very little space, keeping the Macbook safely from off the floor but always conveniently at hand. I highly recommend it.

I bought this to complete my Macbook, cinema display and wireless keyboard/mouse combo. It's a perfect match that makes for a really classy looking setup.
The Twelve South stand does a great job of de-cluttering the desk while showing off your MacBook to great effect..
It's a great fit too - not too tight so it's easy to remove, yet secure enough to inspire confidence that your precious MacBook is not going to fall over.
The only gripe is that it's very expensive for what it is, no matter how well designed, beautifully made and wrapped it may be.
Like other items from this maker, a pricey luxury rather than an essential item, but a highly desirable one nevertheless.