Lapvantage Laptop Dome
by Mitchell Levine
It’s not hard to understand why mobile computers have become such a prominent phenomenon in education technology today. If techno-literacy is to be considered an inextricable component of literacy in general, as it must, then providing hands-on experience for our students with basic digital technology must be a priority. By definition, portable computers can be transported to and from school, allowing districts to level the playing field between economically disadvantaged districts and their higher-income neighborhoods, in terms of their children’s’ ability to access technology in the home.
But as auspicious as this sounds, the use of laptops in institutional settings presents a number of difficult problems. For one, providing mobile computers as an addition to the desktop hardware already in place is often prohibitively expensive, but using them as desktop replacements in a classroom situation is awkward. The typical postures required to operate a mobile once posted on a desk naturally lead one to questions of long-term orthopedic safety and protection from repetitive stress injury in developing children, especially in light of the touchpad most often seen in these units. It doesn’t help much that the space limitations imposed by a typical public ed desk generally prohibit the use of a full-size keyboard as well .In fact, the Center for Disease control itself declares that desktops are to be avoided, if their design does not allow for neutral posture.
Thanks to The Plasticsmith’s Lapvantage Dome, institutions ranging from elementary schools to higher education can take advantage of many of the primary benefits of mobile computing, while avoiding these liabilities. Essentially an acrylic platform suspended on an ABS plastic dome, the Lapvantage allows a laptop to be elevated a full 3.5” above the surface of a desk, enough clearance room to permit the use of a full-sized keyboard and standard mouse without the need for an expensive docking station. It’s ergonomic design is specifically engineered to meet the CDC’s own standards for orthopedics. As an added bonus, the sturdy plastic “feet” included with the unit, which fit directly under the chassis of my Passport 2000 provided much needed ventilation space for its cooling fans. Best of all, I was able to set the entire thing up and running in under one minute – an Education Update product review record.
For under a $100 for an adjustable height model, or $50 for a fixed height version, the Lapvantage should be a serious consideration for any New York City education technology buyer concerned with the safety, productivity, and convenience of their school’s portable computing. For more information, the manufacturer can be contacted toll-free at 800-394-3774, or online at www.lapvantage.com.#
