Accessory Advice: The Stump iPad Stand
by Staff Writer
February 8, 2011
The iPad is capable of all kinds of things, but there are a multitude of purposes where it would be easier to use without holding it. There seems to be the same number of cases and stands as uses for the iPad, and one in particular is the Stump. It's a highly portable tablet stand that allows you to place your iPad in three different positions; completely upright, slight lean, and ramp.
The Stump is just a stand for the iPad, but also allows you to leave your iPad out of a case, and have it clean and comfortable with no added bulk. It weighs in at 8.5 ounces, and measure just 3.5 inches in diameter, and 1.5 inches at its tallest point. It comes in five colors, black, red, blue, grey, and green, and you can add a company logo to the back.
The Stump feels extremely solid, and rubbery so when you put your iPad in it, it doesn't feel like it's going anywhere. It's important to have peace of mind that once you place your iPad in the Stump you aren't going to worry it's going to tip over or slide out. You don't want it to feel like that when you interact with your iPad it's going to move or even jiggle.
The Stump allows you to use your iPad without having to hold it, and it can go anywhere the iPad does. It easily fits in a bag, and even fits in the pocket of my jeans which have about an average pocket size. Then you can have your iPad upright either in landscape or portrait mode for watching any kind of movies, reading books, or for use in the kitchen, on the nightstand, or as a digital picture frame.
Then the ramp position offers a great height for typing, though from time to time it does jiggle and slightly slide depending on how it's positioned on the stump. The portability without having to compromise on the look and feel of your iPad is the biggest selling point. If you're taking your iPad, it's just as easy to take the Stump too, and then you have a solid stand for practically any use of your iPad.
The price of $29.95 may be prohibitive as it is only a stand rather than a case that has protective capabilities as well as stand capabilities. For what the Stump sets out to do, it's a great design, and does it very well. It's not for everyone, but those who like to keep their iPads naked will love to be able to have it stand in all kinds of directions for a multitude of uses.
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