Tstand Review: A Reimagining Of Tablet Holding
This week we've been working with the Tstand, a tablet holder that'll allow you to use your tablet without cranking your neck or your knees. It's big. There's no denying that this stand isn't going to fit into your standard iPad sleeve – but at W 9.5" x L 10.25" x H 2.25 it's also not so large that it won't fit into your 13-inch notebook sleeve. The version we're working with is made mainly of ABS plastic, with silicone rubber bumpers to hold the tablet in place. This stand may look strange, but it might also be the tablet companion you didn't know you needed.NOTE: The image you see above shows the Tstand holding a standard-sized iPad, not the iPad Pro. The stand WILL be able to hold an iPad Pro without issue.
We're working with an early version of the Tstand. Some final versions will have a steel frame, and some will come in glossy black, while others come in matte silver. The full (final) version will weigh in at around 1.25-pounds, and you'll be able to support basically any tablet from 7-inch screens to 13-inch monsters, with or without their cases.
If you're the sort of person that's completely happy with the tablet stand you have, and it's not the least bit uncomfortable to you, then by all means, leave now! If, however, you've placed your tablet in your desk drawer because you can never find a position in which it's comfortable to use your tablet, then have a peek at this piece of equipment.
Tstand comes at a key point in the evolution of the tablet – a time at which Apple is so confident, for example, in their tablet processor power, they've suggested it'll replace the PC.
Meanwhile Microsoft has a set of Surface tablets that've been working as full-powered PC units for several years. And NVIDIA has a unit by the name of NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet that's fully capable of streaming AAA video games from your PC to wherever you are on earth.
Above you'll see the rubbery bumpers that safely hold your tablet in place.
The iPad Pro presents a new sort of conundrum as well – while you're not necessarily meant to be using this device as a movie center primarily, you might just end up doing so. If you do, you're faced with the same issues you'd have had with a standard iPad, but bigger. Tstand can hold even the massiveness of the iPad Pro aloft.
Even with the pre-production materials we're seeing Tstand working with here, we're a bit bummed out that we're having to send this review unit back. It's suddenly made this iPad interesting to use again.
It holds tablets up in the car during a long ride – your tiny child no longer needs to balance your tablet on their knees.
It holds tablets up on your chest when your binging on streaming TV – you no longer need to sit sideways.
It folds up backwards so you can use the base as a sled, and play games while you slide down a hill.*
*If you actually do this, you're going to have a bad time.
Point is – yes, this tablet stand is good. It's not the most conventional accessory in the world, but it's gosh-darn helpful.
Above you'll see this device's means of holding your tablet tight. It's a very, very strong band of rubber. While when we first saw this feature in the stand, we were wary, over our test time we've grown confident of its abilities to do exactly what it's meant to and hold tight over a long period of time. The only thing we're hoping the Tstand crew do is provide a way to attain additional bands if the first one does ever (by some wacky mishap) break, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
The current least amount of cash you're going to pay for a Tstand would be through their Kickstarter, where the company has a Tstand+ Free Shipping level of donation available for $49 USD. There's another tier that also gives you free shipping called the "Late Bird". The company suggests that estimated MSRP for the stand will be $69 USD.
They also suggest that assembly will take place at the end of November and that Kickstarter shipping will happen on December 15th, but given the amount of units that've already been called for, we'll just have to cross our fingers.