I can’t be alone. As the performance gap between notebooks and desktops continues to shrink, more and more people are abandoning the traditional desktop computer in favor of the portability offered by a laptop. Even so, the place that we use our computers the most is still at home, so we still want a comfortable experience there.
As you may have already noticed, a notebook just doesn’t offer the same kind of ergonomics that you would get with a proper desktop setup. Well, addressing this very issue is the Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand. In effect, your little laptop can offer nearly the same experience as a real desktop, thanks to folks at Ergotron. And yes, it’ll support your dual monitor inclinations to boot.
The Appeal of the Combo Lift Stand
Having the option of quickly packing up my laptop and taking my workday over to the local coffee shop is one of the main reasons why I have decided to use my notebook as my primary computer. However, as I mentioned in the introduction, I still have my more extensive laptop computing sessions at home and it’s not exactly comfortable to hover over a notebook for hours at a time.
Sure, some of those notebook cooling stands help, but none of them offer quite the same kind of desktop-esque experience that you’d get with the Ergotron Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand. In effect, you can mount your laptop next to a larger LCD display, making use of your laptop’s screen as a second display. This relatively simple dual monitor setup is much more comfortable and it’s great for cramped quarters, but you’ll need an external mouse and keyboard (just like a desktop).
For the purposes of this review, I made use of my trusty Dell Inspiron 640m 14.1-inch widescreen laptop and the recently discussed debranded 20-inch HP widescreen LCD monitor which was provided courtesy of Geeks.com
Looking inside the Box
Ergotron took the “no nonsense” approach to packaging the Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand. I’m accustomed to packaging with a little more style or at least a little more information, but the box for this laptop stand was completely unmarked. The shipping box did not contain an additional retail box. It just opened up to a series of foam inserts and a single page of image-based instructions.
Given this approach and the enterprise-level price (MSRP of $179), I’m thinking that the Neo-Flex Combo Lift Stand is being targeted more at business users than it is at the average consumer.
Fumbling my way through all the Styrofoam inserts, I was eventually able to retrieve all of the tightly packed parts, including a couple bags of screws and other little tidbits. This can certainly look a little overwhelming to some people, but I’m glad to report that putting this thing together was actually easier than, say, a bedroom dresser from IKEA.
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