Create a second screen for your laptop.
I remember a time before I knew how to work on two computer screens. It was a simpler time…a time before multitasking was a possibility. Now that I’ve been exposed to the glory that is the ‘second screen,’ I never want to work without one again. The only problem is that my main personal computer is a laptop and that’s a little hard to make into a two-screen set-up. Fortunately, the creators at Ten 1 Design made Mountie+, a secure rubber grip that makes it possible for you to mount your tablet or smartphone to your laptop.
DETAILS
The Mountie+ is a dual-grip unit that is made of plastic and silicone. It’s tough — a lot tougher than I thought it would be. The bracket features a cord pass through in the center so that you can charge your mounted device easily without cord clutter. The Mountie+ hold the device and laptop screen about 4mm apart, which provide a balance between the two screens. There are actually two different designs of the Mountie — the Mountie and the Mountie+. The Mountie+ is designed to hold the larger tablets and mobile devices securely including the 12-inch iPad Pro. The Mountie+ has a 2.6X increase in front grip over the Mountie. The Mountie+ should be compatible with all iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini models as well as all recent tablets between 5.0mm and 9.0mm thick. All MacBooks and every other laptop computers should work well for mounting.
UNBOXING
The Mountie+ comes in a branded box with the Ten 1 Design logo on the top left-hand corner. The front depicts the Mountie in use and the front of the box describes how the side-mount clip can be used with all MacBook, MacBook Pro, and other laptops. It’s meant to hold iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and other tablets. The back description paragraph mentions how you can use it to attach devices together. You open the box from the back and when you do, you find a “Thank You” message from the team at Ten 1 Design. Below this warm welcome message, you will find the grip itself and two boxes with adjustment grips. There is a key that tells you what grips to use with which devices included in the packaging along with a small 3-panel illustration showing how the Mountie is to be used. Other than that there are no instructions.
USER EXPERIENCE
Because I like my desk space and the Moutie+ allows me to clear up some of that by mounting my tablet to my laptop, I was very excited to try out the Mountie+. The device has two clamps on either end of the plastic bracket. They open up with a simple snap mechanism and then you slide the grips over the sides of your tablet and laptop. The Mountie+ comes with several different rubber grip sizes. They are various sizes of thickness to help the Mountie fit with different laptops and mobile devices. Swapping the grips is easy. They slide into place and then the nubs fit into their holes on the inside edge. A guide is provided to let you know which sizes might best fit for your device.
Snapping the Mountie+ into place is easy enough, too. It’s a little concerning when the grips are tight against the 2016 MacBook Pro screen though. Even though the box mentions using the Mountie on future MacBook Pros, I can’t recommend using it on models later than 2013 because of how thin the screens have gotten and how small the bezels are. When I clamped the Mountie onto the MBP screen it made the ‘ripple effect’ that could end up causing permanent damage. I did test out the Mountie+ with my 13-inch 2016 MacBook Pro and attached an iPhone 7, iPhone X, and a 12-inch iPad Pro. The two iPhones worked out fine, but the iPad Pro made my laptop a bit too top heavy and it nearly fell over.
CONCLUSIONS
I think the Mountie+ is a nice option for keeping a mobile workstation as mobile as possible. You can easily attach your phone while you are working in a coffee shop or when you have very limited desk space. I would be cautious of how you use it and what devices you use it with, but it’s a well-constructed product that seems to hold devices together.
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For more information, visit tenonedesign.com
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