Altitude Adjustment (1/2)
Logitech Alto Notebook Stand with Integrated Keyboard
INTRODUCTION
Having a notebook provides freedom to
work while traveling or from home. Although I have a
docking station, monitor, keyboard and mouse at
work, these items are not available when I travel or
when I work from home. Anyone who has studied
ergonomics knows that notebook computers are not
designed with comfort in mind. In fact, the
keyboards are usually cramped. Since a notebook
screen is often smaller than a regular monitor, you
usually have to strain to see, not to mention the
screen is hardly at an optimal height. This is the
situation I find myself in whenever I am working
away from work.
Logitech thinks they have the solution for people
like myself with their new Logitech Alto Notebook
Stand with Integrated Keyboard. Did it solve my
ergonomic woes? Read on to find out!
WHAT'S
HOT
Logitech has assembled a nice list
of features for the Alto:
- Notebook display riser
- Comfort keyboard
- Folds in half for storage
- 3-Port hi-speed USB hub
- Optional AC adapter for the USB hub
SETUP
Logitech always has attractive packaging
and the Alto is no exception.
(images link to high-resolution versions)
The Alto comes in a keyboard-sized box that clearly shows the features of the device.
When you remove the Alto from the box, it is folded in half.
Setup of the Alto is relatively painless. First, you unfold the device.
Second, you press the release button which is located in the center of this picture. You can then lift the panel above the release button which is the display stand.
When you lift the display stand panel, you can see the locking mechanism below it. The third step is to fold the back of the stand and lock it into place.
Once the stand is locked in place, the fourth step is to place your notebook on the stand. The Alto will hold notebooks weighing up to 9 pounds.
The last step is to plug the USB cable into a port on your notebook. This activates both the built-in hub and the keyboard. No drivers are needed, which is especially nice. My workplace does not give me administrator rights to my notebook, so I would not be able to install a driver.
The only part that I found confusing was locking the stand into place. You need to press the release button to insert the stand into the lock. This is certainly no deal-breaker... in fact, once you figure it out, the stand locks in place very securely. At no time did I worry that my notebook was going to fall.
PRODUCT FEATURES
The keyboard of the Alto is full-featured
and contains all of the shortcut keys you would
expect to find on a modern keyboard.
The keyboard is full-sized and has a nice wrist rest at the bottom.
Although the keyboard is full-size, the key travel (the distance the key moves when you press it) seems to be about half-way between a desktop keyboard and the notebook's built-in keyboard. Although a desktop keyboard's key travel is deeper, I was much happier with the Alto than with my notebook's built-in keyboard. I also really like having the number pad... something I miss on my notebook's built-in keyboard.
The display stand raises the screen to just about the right height. Most ergonomic experts will say the top of the screen should be at or just below eye level. Obviously, how close the Alto comes to this depends on the size of your notebook. The Alto did a good job with mine and I did not feel like I was straining to see the screen. The screen was not too far away, nor was it too close.
Another neat feature of the Alto is the built-in 3-port hi-speed USB hub. There is one port located on the top right side of the device and two additional ports along the top edge.
The Alto has LEDs to show you if it is connected to your notebook, if each USB port is active and the usual keyboard lights for num lock and caps lock. You can also lock the keyboard itself via a switch which also has an LED.
If the USB devices you plan to connect require full-power USB ports, Logitech offers an optional AC adapter for the Alto. This adapter comes with plugs for various countries and costs $19.99 extra.
In this picture you can see the two USB ports along the top edge as well as the plug for the AC adapter.
Speaking of USB ports, the Alto requires you to connect a built-in cable to an open USB port on your notebook. Logitech went an extra step here and included a nifty cable management feature for the USB cable.
The USB cable has a nice neat home and plenty of slack to accommodate wherever the open USB port may be on your notebook.
Logitech did not stop there with cable management. They also built-in cable management slots into the top edge of the Alto to secure other cables you have attached to your notebook such as AC, ethernet, etc.
There are many different sized slots to accommodate a variety of cables.
The biggest gripe I have with the Alto is something you may not have noticed in the pictures above, but is especially noticeable in the last picture. The Alto is a fingerprint and dust magnet. Every surface of the Alto seems to attract fingerprints and dust. I haven't seen this much dust since I had my Compaq iPAQ 3600 with its' famous dust collecting screen. The hinge that folds the two halves of the Alto together is rubber, which collects dust. Most of the other surfaces are shiny or glossy, which also collect dust and fingerprints. If you are someone who is sensitive about dust on your devices, the Alto may not be for you.
