Customer Reviews

Xbrand XB-1002 360 Height Adjustable Laptop Stand with USB 2.0 Hub

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Having a laptop, I wanted to be able to use the laptop as a desktop in a spare room in my house, but still be able to quickly take the laptop without having to fiddle with a lot of plugs. This X-Brand stand showed a lot of promise, so I gave it a try.

The stand has a four-port USB 2.0 hub built into it. You place it on your desk where you would normally place a display or LCD panel. You plug a USB keyboard, mouse, and any other USB devices you may have (printer, scanner, USB hub) into the stand. At that point, it's ready to go. You simply place your laptop onto it, and plug the stand's USB connector into your laptop's USB port. All of the devices plugged into the stand are then connected to your laptop, giving you a full-sized keyboard, a mouse, and whatever else you have plugged into the USB ports. The stand angles your laptop so that while you cannot use your laptop's keyboard (which is why you plug in a full-sized keyboard), the laptop's display isn't as far back as it would be if you laid it down flat and placed a keyboard in front of it. The display is also raised a bit higher and is closer to eye-level. The end result is that with a single plug, you transform your laptop into a very workable and convenient desktop.

There are some drawbacks to this device. If you have a laptop with a front-mounted CD/DVD drive, it will become inaccessible since the front of your laptop rests on the front lip of the X-Brand stand. Also, this particular stand does not have audio capabilities, meaning that you'll still hear sound out of your laptop's speakers. If you choose this model, I would recommend getting an iMic audio adapter. It's a tiny USB audio device that has an analog input and output. While designed for a Macintosh, it's recognized and fully supported by Windows XP and Vista. With an iMic (or anything similar) plugged into the X-Brand stand, and a full, amplified PC speaker system plugged into the iMic, when your laptop is hooked up, you have full audio capabilities from powered speakers, just like any desktop.

There is a model above this one that has more features. The higher-end X-
Brand stand has a built-in ethernet adapter and audio controller (similar to the iMic). This stand can have powered speakers plugged into it, and be hooked up to your network. When a laptop is placed onto it, you have instant network capabilities and full, powered audio. While this is nice, the majority of laptops have wireless capability and do not need a USB-based ethernet connection. The only flaw I found with that particular X-Brand model was that there was a problem with the audio jack on it, and the left speaker did not work. The sound from the right-speaker did appear to be of low quality, sounding a bit garbled and with some static. I do not know if that was indicative of the defective audio jack (since the left speaker did not work), or of the USB audio chip within the stand. If you already have wireless capabilities on your laptop, and have a wireless network, it'll be more cost-effective to just buy an iMic and this particular model X-Brand stand that only has the USB hub, rather than buying the higher-end model with USB, ethernet, and audio.

All in all, I find the X-Brand USB notebook stand to be well worth the money. It lets me use my laptop like a desktop, yet in a way where it's easy to grab my laptop when I'm on the go.

I ordered this because I use my Macbook Pro (15") quite a bit and found that my neck was hurting from constantly looking down at the screen. The four positions of adjustment are not equally spaced, i.e., from a level position to the first angle is more significant than moving from position 2 to 3 or 3 to 4. It does raise quite a bit so everyone should find a level that works for them.

I read reviews in advance that pointed out that only the level and first incline positions were usable for the Macbook Pro's as the hinge of the notebook, while opening widely, cannot open far enough to make positions 3 or 4 usable. Your mileage will vary depending on the maximum angle your screen will open to.

The hub works flawlessly, but does require usage of the A/C adapter (included) with my MBP. The warning tag on the USB cable that comes with the unit indicates that the power adapter must always be used when utilizing the hub. Without it plugged in, it will not work even with low power devices like mice and keyboards.

The unit's wheels allow you to easily rotate it in place for sharing. Their orientation allows the unit to rotate, but not shift forward/backward or side-to-side.

The front bar has a sliding release to lower it for access to front-mounted drives (or ports) such as the slot-loading optical drive on the MBP - perfect!

The platform on which the laptop rests has rubber cushioning that really grips the laptop preventing it from sliding off when the aforementioned bar is in the down position. The area under the laptop is curved so that air can easily circulate under the computer keeping it running cool.

It is a well-made device that does what it claims to very well.

I was going to point out that there is an APC model identical to this (BTW, these can be had without the USB hub) that was cheaper at the time I got mine. But I just noticed that this unit (with the hub) is currently LESS than the one without. That is, the same brand, Xbrand. Not sure why that is, but maybe I should get one for my wife who inherited the 17" Powerbook!

I love this stand. It makes using my laptop a lot easier. It puts me in a better position to type. It has also increased my typing speed. I also love the USB ports on the back of the stand. They make it very convenient so I can unplug just the USB from the computer instead of unplugging all of my devices from the computer. The only complaint I have on this stand is that it doesn't have a Ethernet port. But that's ok. An extra added benefit is that it keeps your laptop very cool. The stand is worth the price.I would highly recommend it for any laptop.

Update: Powered hub died... still using it as a stand. Original review is below

Just got it today and I'm loving it...

I lost my previous notebook (HP) to a spilled coffee :-) and this stand lifts the notebook safely off the desk helping to protect it from similar accidents. I have a new Macbook Pro 2.4GHz which gets very hot running OS X and Windows at the same time. The stand makes sure the notebook stays nice and cool by providing ventilation underneath the laptop.

The stand is wide enough to position the Macbook slightly to the right so you don't lose access to the optical drive... shifting the notebook slightly to the right also better exposes the IR sensor for the remote control on the Macbook. Enjoy!

I bought this to elevate my laptop screen as I was having neck problems caused by years of looking down at my laptop. This really solves that problem as it brings the screen up to eye level and improves my sitting posture. Also, I like the angle that I now have for typing as I can see the keyboard more readily at the new height and it's a comfortable angle for typing (which was surprising). It's not as neat looking on my desk as the small laptop alone is, but it's really an important improvement for my neck and spine posture and health.

Terrific purchase; for another $60, your laptop can work as either a laptop or a desktop. Easy to connect, provides great stability, not in any way made of cheap material; great price.

placed order oct 29, arrived oct 31. was more than i expected. easy set up would not have laptop without this item very comfortable. all in all was more than a five star purchase bought thru antonline exellent seller and price was right

I've had this product for about a year. I like it pretty well as a stand for the laptop, but the USB port has recently started causing issues with my laptop. Specifically, I get nothing but a blank screen with a blinking cursor when if I try to turn on the computer with the USB hub connected. Everything works as expected when it's disconnected, and I guess I could turn on the computer, and then connect the USB hub, but it is not the way I want to work.

does what it says, really handy, no fear of spills, picked up my typing speed, better cooling for sure, especially when used w/ a 5 dollar fan.

feels like plastic tho, wish they could make it out of billet alluminum, or even mahagony wood.haha.

heres a tip, i used an old spark plug wire connector off an old hot rod motor in back to clean up wires(connect them linearly..side to side) from USB ports in back and velcro wraps from Lowes on the cables..all nice, neat, looks as one big cable now, clean and very functional, i can move my laptop around a 2 1/2' by 3' coffee table no sweat.

I keep my laptop in the kitchen for recipe quick reference and for emails I'd miss otherwise. This stand is perfect. It has usb ports that are handy and it sits up high so you don't bend down to read the screen. The laptop is secure on the stand and won't slip off. I highly recommend it.