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| One word came to my mind the first time I saw the Magnus Magnetic iPad 2 Stand from Ten One Design.
That word was sexy. It's the most minimalistic iPad stand I've reviewed
to date. Is this stand just a pretty face with nothing to back it up
though? Let's find out. Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view. The Magnus looks and feels exactly like the stand that is built into my iMac. It is made of machined, recycled aluminum which has been hand finished. Mac fans would definitely guess that it was made by Apple. The front has a shallow trough with a thin strip of rubber that covers embedded neodymium magnets. A side view shows a slightly raised ledge and also shows off the one-piece design. The bottom has 4 rubber feet to keep the stand from sliding around on your desk. If you're familiar with the iPad 2, you'll know that the edges have magnets that are used to attach smart covers. The Magnus stand from Ten One Design takes full advantage of these magnets by using them as the sole method of holding the iPad 2 in place. I keep saying iPad 2 because the Magnus will not work with the original iPad or any tablet other than the iPad 2. It's been designed specifically to mate with the iPad 2′s magnetic left edge. The iPad clicks into the ledge as soon as you get close to it. Removing the iPad from the stand requires two hands. One to hold the stand and the other hand to pull the iPad free of the magnets. Has it occurred to you yet that you can only orient the iPad one way with this stand? It will only work in landscape orientation with the home button on the right. Although you can balance the iPad in the ledge in normal orientation, it isn't secure and is definitely not recommended as the slightest bump will cause it to slide out. The orientation issue is the number one limitation of the Magnus. The number two limitation is that the viewing angle can not be changed. What good is an iPad stand that you can only orient one way and can't change the viewing angle? That's a good question… I have found that it does work great as a 2nd display for your desktop or laptop. It also works well as a clock or a photo frame. The angle is actually very good when using the iPad with a keyboard. So although functionality is limited with this stand, it's not a complete deal breaker. The deal breaker is more likely the 50 dollar price tag for something that can only be used with only one device in a very specific way. If the price tag doesn't scare you away along with the limitations, this stand is the sexiest way to display your iPad 2 in landscape orientation. | |
