Roost Flexible Laptop Stand Does Away with Neck and Back Pain

Roost Laptop Stand 01

Some people spend the whole work day in front of their laptop, and thus expose themselves to serious health problems, including Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI), back and neck pain. Roost is a laptop stand that means to prevent all those problems.

The latest tendency, which seems to have been adopted by most, if not all, modern laptop stands, is to keep the keyboard inclined, and the display at eye-level. Roost does that and more, since it proves to be very flexible while deployed, and compact while on the go.

Somewhat similar in design to a beach chair, the Roost laptop stand can be easily adjusted in terms of height, since people, much like notebooks, come in different shapes and sizes. Speaking of sizes, thanks to its patent-pending “Pivoting Grips,” Roost can fit laptops of any size and shape (as long as it’s not a thick IBM ThinkPad from the mid-90s). Besides compatibility, another aspect Roost excels at is stability. Once secured into place, the laptop cannot slide, even if the spill-proofed stand gets bumped.

The only inconvenience is that despite the eye-level screen, the keyboard and trackpad are in a position that’s very uncomfortable, when using Roost. That’s exactly why the manufacturer strongly suggests using an external keyboard and mouse.

One aspect I cannot exactly wrap my mind around is the reason behind making a stand for laptops, and not for tablets, if the notebook’s keyboard and trackpad aren’t used in this scenario, anyway.

As seen in the above picture, the Roost laptop stand is incredibly compact when tucked away. In its compact form, the stand measures 1″ x 1″ x 13″ and weighs 5.8 ounces. That makes it barely noticeable, both size- and weight-wise, when carrying it in a notebook backpack. Setting it up is extremely easy, as all you have to do is pull the legs apart.

James Olander designed this stand, and collaborated with Alfred Manufacturing to make it possible, before bringing it to Kickstarter. The crowdfunding campaign’s $475,000 funding goal has almost been reached, as at writing time there were 13 more days to go and approximately $50K to be raised. There were no early bird spots for this project, but anyone who pledged at least $49 should expect to receive their Roost in October 2015.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Basepro laptop dock, or the portable laptop case that turns into a desk while in the go.

Ask Engadget: Should I replace my mouse with a graphics tablet?

DNP Ask Engadget Should I replace my mouse with a graphics tablet

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Whee!, which we guess probably isn't their real name, who is looking for a way to ditch their mouse. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm a web developer, and my typical day involves a lot of moving and clicking when testing stuff in the browser. I've been thinking about ditching my mouse, because when using it for long hours it gets very uncomfortable. As such, I'm eyeing up a Wacom tablet and using the pen input to mouse around -- but do you think it's a good idea? Thanks in advance!"

Our questioner wants to solve their wrist-pain woes, and it certainly seems like a reasonable enough idea to us. Plenty of tablets come with a mouse mode, so it's just down to the limits of your budget.

  • If you're just dipping your toes into the water, you can pick up a Genius device for around $60.
  • Wacom's Bamboo tablets occupy the mid-range, setting you back $80 for a 5.8-inch model, all the way up to $200 for the 8.5-incher.
  • If you're serious about making the change, then Wacom's Intuos5 hardware is a top-range option, with the 6.2-inch version starting at $200, running all the way to $800 for the 18-inch unit, or even spending big on one of the company's Cintiq units.
  • We've also been wondering if a touchscreen Ultrabook might be a better idea, letting your fingers do the walking to spare your aching forearms.

That said, perhaps the wider Engadget community has an even better tip, so if you've already made that leap, why not share your knowledge in the comments below?

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Ask Engadget: Should I replace my mouse with a graphics tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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