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A Good iPad Stand Hack: Rubber Stoppers

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This morning on the way to the theatre for a two show day I was listening to the recent MacBreak Weekly podcast.  On the show, Andy Ihnatko mentioned he had discovered a good solution to use as a sorta kinda stand for the iPad when you wanted to place it in landscape mode and do some typing. The solution: Rubber Stoppers.

I’m sure in a short time we’ll see many stand and case/stand options appear but for now most of those are glossy pictures on websites with promises of coming soon. There have been a few moments where I’ve thought I wanted to give the iPad’s virtual keyboard a better work out, but since I returned the Incase case/stand option I had bought on the day of release I’ve been without a suitable alternative to use the iPad propped up in in landscape mode. Typing on the iPad with it lying flat on a surface doesn’t really work for me. (I returned the case because after a few days of use the weight of the iPad caused it to slip with in the enclosure. This required you to constantly adjust it if you wanted to plug in the power/sync cord or the earbuds. I figured it would get worse with time, so I back it went.)

So, having to run a few errands on the way to the theatre I stopped by the local hardware store and picked up the rubber stoppers for about $6.00. Our hardware store had several sizes to choose from and I think I picked the correct size. That’s exemplified by the fact that the virtual keyboard feels just about right when I’m using it with the iPad propped up on the stoppers. It’s a good viewing and typing angle and because the lightweight stoppers are rubber the iPad doesn’t slip. That light weight means it won’t add any real burden to your gear gab. You can also adjust things a bit to your comfort by simply moving the iPad or the stoppers. In the end, I’m guessing this will work quite well for any Tablet/slate that comes down the road.

All credit goes to Mr. Ihnatko for mentioning this, and hey, it’s a great little hack while you’re waiting for more expensive alternatives to hit the market. Or perhaps even after they do.

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5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Gary

    04/17/2010 at 4:29 pm

    Bummer on the Incase, but glad you posted about it. I was eyeing that one. They typically make quality, well thought out stuff. So, just to clarify – the problem was mainly in how it lined up with the dock connector, right? Was any functionality of typing or using it obstructed? Did you like this better than Apple’s $40 case?

    • Warner Crocker

      04/17/2010 at 5:00 pm

      Glad you asked for clarification. At the time I returned it the problem was with lining up the dock connector and the earpud port. I could see it getting worse though as the weight of the iPad kept causing it to slip within the case, so that when opened a side of the iPad was exposed.

      I thought I would like this case as well and for a couple of days was really happy with it. My guess is that Incase will probably go back to the drawing board with this case idea and probably didn’t have all that much time to work with the actual device before it was released.

      • HG

        04/17/2010 at 5:37 pm

        I also picked up the Incase case on the first day the iPad got released, and exchanged it because it wouldn’t line up. The second one which is the one I am still using is working great and no problems yet on it not lining up. Hope it I don’t have any more problems down the road, but if I do Incase has a warranty so I could exchange it.

  2. Mike

    04/17/2010 at 6:45 pm

    Failure to put a kickstand on the back of the ipad is a design fail in my book actually.
    That people are posting about making one with ideas such as this just proves it.

    Among other missing items – cameras, IR receiver/transmitter, SD slot.
    For that matter the proprietary apple connector.
    They are selling mobility – but I have to carry yet another cable around with me… for what?

  3. Jon

    04/17/2010 at 8:27 pm

    I’ve been using door stop wedges as a stand for the ipad. Works very well. Better then the stoppers I think.

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