Logitech Alto Portable Desktop Stand

Logitech Alto Portable Desktop Stand

Published August 25, 2008 at 01:16:04 PM, by Travis Simon

Overview

Most laptop users are faced with the obvious dilemma of being portable, and being comfortable. More often than not, the sacrifices for being a portable user outweigh the consequences of ergonomics, but if you are like me, I appreciate having a station at home being completely comfortable and useful, yet still providing the options to pack it up in a whim's notice. Laptop Logic would like to take the time to introduce the Logitech Alto - a neat 'little' device that combines practical ergonomics and accessory options to just about any laptop. It is a laptop riser, external keyboard and USB 2.0 powered hub - all in one 'little' package.

The package shows a nice picture of how the unit works - and this review will merit how well this portable device holds up.

Design

The Logitech Alto is well built with subtle hints of flair. You'll notice that the pictures below speak for the craftsmanship for the Alto. It's a sleek unit, and is easily folded and unfolded with its flexible rubber 'spine'.

It closes via built in magnets so there is no latch or locking mechanisms. When you first unpack the Alto you will notice the textured aluminum face, the subtle branding elements and the sleek (dare I say, 'Sexy?') black color.

There is also a built in keyboard riser to help with the ergonomics as noted in the picture above as well.

Once you are prepared to move on and open the unit, the same subtle design and black tie attire unfolds before you in an impressive, if not easy, nature. The keyboard is flat black with 'hot' buttons on the top and a full 10 key numeric pad on the right. Having a full size keyboard at your disposal really takes comfort to the next level. I don't MIND using my laptop's keyboard, but if I can, I like to have my speed and response at full bore - and not choked by a 'miniature' version of the real thing. Unless you are one of those with a laptop with a full size keyboard built in (I'm not) this thing is a blessing when it comes to gaming, typing, multitasking and budgeting with the nice 10 key on the side.

The Alto has a 109 key keyboard (including volume, and shortcut keys) and also incorporates volume control, a dedicated 'sleep' key and calculator key right above the numeric pad. The function keys can be applied by pressing the 'Fn' button to the right of the space bar which activates different shortcuts built into Windows XP. F1 runs a search command, F2 is email, F3 brings up your home page from your browser, F4 starts your chosen media player, F5 - F8 are audio controls of rewind, stop, play/pause, and next track. F9 through F12 are commands for your web browser (backward, forward, full screen, and refresh, respectively). The Alto is made for Windows so there is a little key between CTRL and ALT on the left side that brings up the 'START' menu (aka WINDOWS button).

The actual design of the riser is quite simple, if not almost too simple for some. It simply unlocks by a simple release latch, props up and is 'locked' into a slot via a post that extends down from the hinged unit. The arrow below shows the latch you must release before the unit can raise. A downside to simplicity is that there is no adjustable height at to which the unit raises your laptop, and thus your LCD screen. Even though I do say it raises it a respective 5 - 6 inches, some may find this still too short and create eyestrain. There are 2 small rubber feet that hold your laptop from sliding down the riser so to speak. I have noted that if your laptop has an ANGLED front face like the ThinkPad pictured above, the rubber feet don't support as well, and it seems to slide down and rest on the folded rubber.

If your laptop has a squared off front face like my MSI-1029 does, it works pretty well. The distance between the two rubber feet is a well endowed 13.5' from far end to far end - which should securely handle all laptops up to the 17' range. If you are one of the users who merit having a 19'+ laptop, I would suggest measuring the active distance your laptop has and judge accordingly. On another note, I'm not sure how many pounds the stand is rated for, but handles my MSI 1029 (which weighs in about 7 pounds) just fine. I would guess anything over 9 pounds might need some caution.

Portability

Being marketed to the mobile user, Logitech went with the notion that users shouldn't sacrifice comfort for the ability to pack up the farm to work in a different environment. Some may argue that this is made to be a 'home station' unit, but I'm going to point outwhy would they allow a unit to be folded if it was meant to be just used in one place at all times? So I am going with the idea that it is meant to be a portable unit.

But how portable is the Logitech Alto? The measurements on the device when closed are as follows.

Height (thickness) is 1.4', the width of the unit is 16.8' and the depth measures roughly 9.25'. If you're reading this, you'll notice these aren't the smallest dimensions to be marketed as a 'mobile' unit - and stretching the guidelines for most if not all packs to carry in. In fact, this unit had a tough time fitting without stretching the seams on all the packs I had lying around the house. So, if you are considering this unit to fit into your everyday tote, be prepared to buy a bigger pack, or have the Alto sticking out.

Things get even more hairy when you realize how much real estate space this unit actually consumes when you do unfold the Alto. The surface area is more than DOUBLE when unfolded (duh) but until you measure out 19 INCHES from the front to the back, you really don't grasp that it does, in fact - need a large area to perform! Take note, this will not help you on an airplane, and barely lend itself to some desks in hotels I've stayed in (ok, they were Priceline'd, but still!). So, while the mobile contribution is next to nothing - it still has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Performance

Setup

If you run Windows XP, just plug it in. Seriously, that's it. No drivers, no fuss - it works just like an external keyboard, and if you have the power adapter plugged in to the back of the unit to power the USB hub, it installs that too. I did notice however that if you unplug it from one USB port, and put it in another, it will reinstall the drivers - so it's a good idea to pick a USB port that it will use all the time - or at least every time you want to use the unit itself. If you're like me, the biggest challenge was finding an outlet to power the supplied USB hub!

Setting up the rising portion was just as easy as noted earlier in the review. Pull the clip back, pull the section 'up and out' - lock it into place with a confident SNAP, and you're done. No drivers - no fuss.

External

The Alto isn't exactly like other laptop risers we've reviewed. Considering that the keyboard is already wrapped up in the nice little to-go package, the Alto doesn't make any bones that it's NOT here to compete with higher priced Kensington risers that offer the complete docking station with video output and network connections. No, the Alto packs a much smaller, yet just as effective tool along with it. It carries on its 'rear' a USB port which provides a nice, seamless integration of a USB powered hub. Of the hub's three ports, one is used to connect the Alto to your laptop, leaving two useable for USB devices. You're not really losing a port, but gaining two with the Alto, which - by the way, is also nice that they have chosen to include wire management into the unit as well. Bonus points for giving me something, and making it neat at the same time.

Flexing its 'muscle' shown here - the Rubber spine is what enables the unit to pack up and go.

Conclusion

I have to say that I'm impressed. The Alto is a nice 'little' package, and considering if you don't have to worry about matching components and enjoy the black theme - this scores a near perfect 10 in my book. It's practical, purposeful, and at a price point that is hard to ignore when you aren't sacrificing ALL of your mobility for a much larger, more expensive 'docking station with built in riser' solution. I think if Logitech could have managed to have the unit fold up one step further, making the mobile footprint a tad smaller - it would be unsurpassable. No, it's not wireless, no it won't save the world - but it will raise your LCD to a much more comfortable height, reduce strain on your hands from using that cramped laptop keyboard, and take away some clutter with a powered USB hub for some of your gadgets - which is all that it claims to do. And it does it well.

Pros:

• Great build
• Functional styling
• Tactile keyboard
• Easy access volume controls
• USB ports
• "Mobile"
• Price point

Cons:

• Large footprint when unfolded
• Windows machines ONLY
• Only comes in black

Recommendation:

Availability/Warranty

The Logitech Alto is available online at many retailers for an MSRP of $99.99.

No User reviews for this product! Be the first to write a review on Logitech Alto Portable Desktop Stand

To post a product-review you have to be a registered member.

Technical Specifications

No specifications are available.