Twelve South

Tech correspondent Phil Baker knows his stuff — in his work with The Daily Transcript (San Diego) he’s pretty much seen it all. If it’s been invented and hit the market, he’s probably had a peek at it.

That’s precisely why we’re honored that after enjoying our BookArc for a few weeks, Phil chose it as the “tech product of the week” for his Tech column.

Here’s the skinny, hot off the press:

Tech Product of the Week: BookArc

Notebooks have become so thin, they take up hardly any room when stored on their edge. So Twelve South has created a beautiful arc-shaped stand created out of a solid slab of aluminum for just that purpose. Use it to store a MacBook Air or similar sized notebook while charging or using with a monitor and keyboard. A soft insert firmly grips the notebook for a secure fit while a keyhole routes cables out of the way. ($40, twelvesouth.com)

Thanks for the coverage! Want to clear the clutter on your desk and make maximum use of your MacBook with a monitor and wireless keyboard? Get your own BookArc here.

While we try our best to keep up with the things that are written about our products, somehow we missed this thorough review of BookArc for MacBook. It’s from Tech Trackr (“Tracking Today’s Tech”) and they went deep when it comes to checking out BookArc for increased MacBook performance as a desktop machine, as well as its overall usefulness.

Here’s their take on BookArc:

“From start to finish, Twelve South managed to impress me with its BookArc—here’s why:

First off, the packaging’s pretty impressive. The outer-most box is covered in an attractive stitched cloth material—I’m definitely keeping the box that the BookArc came in (in fact, Twelve South gave me twelve suggestions on what I could do with it!)

In my eyes, the BookArc serves two main functions: eliminating clutter and increasing function—I’m so fond of this accessory because it does both of these things extremely well.

Let’s talk about the BookArc’s “space-saving” abilities first: it’s blatantly obvious that the BookArc frees up a nice chunk of space on your desk in the most elegant way possible. And while it’s true that you could just lay your MacBook flat on your desk, who really wants to give us that much valuable real estate? It’s also incredibly easy to detach your MacBook in case you need to grab it and go—straps and cables need not apply.

And, believe it or not, the BookArc actually increases function. One of the biggest disadvantages of having a laptop (MacBooks especially) is that they overheat. In case you weren’t aware, the entire line of MacBooks actually slows down the processor when the temperature exceeds a certain temperature. The BookArc poses a solution by keeping your notebook cooler.  We found that our early MacBook Pro model ran faster; although the speed increase wasn’t enormous, it was definitely noticeable.

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning the build quality of this thing: the BookArc itself is made from some pretty high-quality aluminum. It has an impressive, sleek design that is truly “Apple-esque.” At just over a pound, the BookArc is pretty hefty so unless you’re unusually strong, I doubt the BookArc’s going anywhere (meaning if you accidentally nudge it, I don’t anticipate any consequences).”

THE GOOD

• Simple, yet elegant design
• Compatible with almost every MacBook ever made
• Awesome build quality
• Practical for both home and office use

Thanks, Tech Trackr…we’ll keep our eyes on you from here on out! Get your own BookArc here. (And if you’ve got an iPad, there’s one for you too.)

Is that amazingly thin 11 or 13-inch MacBook Air still taking up too much space on your desk? Need a stand for your Air to create the “ultimate portable desktop machine”? Well good news, the BookArc family we all love for MacBook and iPad has a new member, the re-engineered BookArc for MacBook Air!

To use your MacBook closed in BookArc, simply place your Mac in the stand, connect the Apple Cinema Display cables and power to your laptop along with a keyboard and mouse and you’re ready to go! Want to see how it’s done? Check out the video below that shows how to best use your MacBook in BookArc. (Special shout-out to our 13 year-old intern for the week who produced the video, Logan!)

Pick up your own BookArc for MacBook here (BookArc for MacBook Air available later this month).

We always love seeing Twelve South gear being used in the wild, and Andrew at “minimally minimal” has some impressive shots of our BookArc for MacBook on his blog.

Excerpt from the original post:

“I like to hide the whole setup behind the monitor to save space. This is one of those simple products that you’ll find to be surprisingly useful. Highly recommend this to any Cinema Display owners!”

Seems like BookArc for MacBook is the perfect solution for keeping his workspace “minimally minimal”! Want to clean up your own desk and regain some space? (Seems like we never have enough of it, so we’re up for anything that helps with that issue!) Pick up a BookArc for your MacBook, iPad and even MacBook Air (available later this month) here.

How’s this for some beautiful coverage of a few Twelve South faves that start with a “B”? Thanks, Stuff magazine, for spreading the word about Twelve South products in India!

Get yours here, just in time for the holidays…

Have a quick peek at Felix all the way over in Abu Dhabi, typing an email home to the UK.

His Dad, theipadenthusiast.com,  has this to say about why be bought a BookArc for his iPad:

• “So I could prop the iPad up and place it in front of my Apple Bluetooth”
• “So I could prop the iPad next to my MacBook Pro and use the iPad as an extra screen”
• “So I could run a photo slideshow or clock/timer”

These are all good reasons, if you ask us. Whether you’re in Des Moines or Abu Dhabi, there are plenty of reasons why you need the best-selling BookArc for your iPad. Get yours now.

PS: FREE SHIPPING is still available for a limited time, but you’d better hurry.

Notebooks.com included our BookArc for MacBooks in their list of “Must Have MacBook Accessories for College Students“. Even cooler though, the author Carter Sprunger reveals the BookArc is a key component in his own personal set-up. Its one thing to mention a product, it’s quite another to recommend a product because it’s sitting right on your desk and you use it yourself every day.

This is my current set-up, which I enjoy very much. When paired with an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, the BookArc allows you to truly get a desktop feel when you are at your desk. Just slide your MacBook into the stand, connect your monitor, and your are good to go. The design allows for better heat dissipation as well as well as safety from items on your desk that may scratch your MacBook. Also, with your MacBook closed, the video RAM goes directly to power your external monitor, providing a considerably faster experience.

via Must Have MacBook Accessories for College Students | Notebooks.com.

In every BookArc box there is a list of 12 things to do with your package after it’s done holding your BookArc of course. We have always felt that if we can add value – even to the packaging – we should. And from an earth-friendly standpoint, re ‘using’ beats re ‘cycling’ any day.

That said, we’ve also enjoyed seeing other customers’ ideas about reusing our packaging as well. Here is one of the more unusual uses we’ve seen recently. Apparently, our box is the perfect size to fit this handy strap-on bicycle storage bag. Who knew!

Repurposed TwelveSouth BookArc box on Flickr

If you have new ideas on how to re-use your BookArc box, let us know.

We feel the packaging is just as much a part of the product as the product itself. After all you’re paying for it too. We also are responsible for what happens (or can happen – in an earth-friendly sense) with the package after it’s safely delivered its goods to you. These reasons and more are why we put quite a bit of effort into our packaging. We ran across a blog where our happy customer was just as moved by the packaging and the BookArc that came in it. She gets it too. Here’s some of what she had to say…

Aside from being utterly delighted and tickled that I’d found the perfect stand for Wilma, when I opened the box I noted the unique quality and craftsmanship of the container. And those who know me well know I LOVE containers. Anyhoo, inside the box was a four-page white brochure on smooth, quality paper with lots of negative space and straightforward copy:

• Cover: BookArc desktop stand for MacBook owners guide, Twelve South logo
• Page 2: What’s in the box, get your Arc ready to roll, installing and removing inserts, working with your MacBook closed
• Page 3: 12 ways to re-purpose your BookArc box, have questions? and about Twelve South
• Back cover: the words, “thank you”

Wow. I took a second look at the box after reading the 12 ways to re-purpose your BookArc box. Oh, my. They had some great ideas. And their list inspired even more ideas in my mind. I showed the box to Michael. At that very moment he was organizing his digital video tapes. We both looked at the box, looked at his messy pile of tapes and declared, “Eureka!” and every tape he had fit neatly and perfectly into the Twelve South BookArc box.

Voila. Thank YOU, Twelve South. You’ve got passion and you’ve earned my business loyalty. Keep it coming.

Thank you Terry. It’s customers like you that keep us inspired every day.

Read the whole blog entry here: It’s Just a Box, Right? « Passion Miner.

Learn more about BookArc (and its box) here. Twelve South BookArc