Finally, we have the OmniStand in our hands, and to my surprise it turned out to be more than what I had expected. Now, for what we know the OmniStand is a portable and adjustable stand for your notebook computers which also provides some efficient cooling. So, we tested RadTech’s OmniStand for all this. While, in the beginning it was only a stand for my laptop but it turned out to be much more as my interaction with the gadget unfolded.
The Form Factor
It has a sweet, simple and an extremely portable design which is the best thing about the OmniStand. If you are aware of the mStand you may know about its portability issues. But with the OmniStand this inconvenience has been solved and portability is no longer an issue. This stand is made from a heat-dissipating aluminum alloy, and both the surfaces have pores which help vent out the heat, providing you with much better cooling. It can be adjusted at four different heights providing you with various ergonomically-correct positions so that you can select the most appropriate one, even in different work environments. It also has a handle which can be used to carry it around or you can just slide it in to your laptop case. The OmniStand is 10.2-inch (257mm) wide, 9.3-inch (237mm) long, 0.2-inch (8mm) in height when folded ,and it weighs just around 454 grams which I believe is hardly noticeable. Also, any scratched surface can be easily restored by using Scotch-Brite so it looks clean all the time.
The Different Elevations
Okay, so one of the unique features of the OmniStand is the different elevations, it has four different variations, 26°, 38°, 45° and 54°. Now I have used all of them for different reasons, with different devices and found all of them very useful. Firstly, the first two elevations are brilliant for mostly all devices. I used the OmniStand with two different laptops, one was a Dell system and the other one was a HP system, I used it with an Acer netbook and also along with the Apple iPad. Now the only problem I faced was with the Dell system which had a protruding 9-cell battery and due to that I had a very bumpy experience while using the keyboard, the HP system however ,melted in to stand and it was a really smooth experience, the Acer netbook had a similar experience like the HP and finally it was so very perfect for the Apple iPad! As a matter of fact I believe that the iPad needs some support while you are using the keyboard and OmniStand does the trick.
So, I asked a few other guys about the OmniStand and also made them try it along with their laptops. The feedback which I got from them was a bit diverse and something which I had not expected. Many liked it, but others who had never actually used a laptop stand much did not recommend it. Maybe they were not just used to it, but I think it is very important that I do mention this.
About the Cooling
Okay, so this is something what the OmniStand is very famous for and I have heard that it does really brilliant cooling. Most other laptop cooling pad are USB powered, well the OmniStand does not require any power and it still does the trick. For me, the cooling efficiency of the stand with Dell wasn’t upto the mark; however it had managed to maintain its temperature, using the 38° elevation. However, the same settings were more effective on the HP system, and I experienced some decent difference. So, I believe that the cooling is much dependent on how the vents in the laptop are designed or placed. In regards to the Apple iPad, it surely did not heat up as much as it does when I use it on any other surface.
The Bottom-Lin
Okay, so I would say it is a brilliant accessory for your laptop but at a bit extra cost. But, if you are looking for a really useful laptop stand which is super-portable, ultra-light and totally easy and efficient to use, then the RadTech OmniStand is the perfect deal for you. Also, if you are a tablet user then I would rather suggest you to wait as RadTech is soon coming out with a new one specially for the tablets.
The OmniStand is priced and Rs. 3,200 for the Indian market and $59.95 for US
