JeffTadashi « Usable for laptops/percussion on stage »
Published on 07/22/12 at 19:24The Ikea Dave Laptop Table is a small, inexpensive table that you can use for a laptop or other small devices. I purchased thus unit with the intention of holding my laptop on stage, as part of my digital piano, synthesizer rig. It is one of the cheapest options you can find for a laptop table or stand (at $20), but it is far from ideal.
The base legs of the Dave unit are very large, and although they provide great tilt support, they are often in the way of other equipment, such as the stand of my digital piano. They are simple plastic as well, so they don't seem as road-durable as other, more professional equipment. But in a pinch, they can certainly work. The tabletop itself can be adjusted so that it's tilted, but the plastic surface is too smooth to safely hold any equipment on an angle; at least I wouldn't be confident with that angle. That is fine and all, since you can just set it to be perfectly level, but the latch and lock that controls this tilt is a bit unusual, and as a result, the tabletop is never totally stabilized, and it always is a bit wobbly. This can be a problem if you are pressing buttons on your device with pressure, such as a drum pad controller. So again, it is just not an ideal stand for everything.
The top surface is nice and large, and can certainly hold any sized laptop, and I've used it around my studio just to hold random equipment, and for that, it's great. Don't expect it to hold anything too heavy, because it can wobble, and the height lock is not totally secure (it's just a screw rubbing tight against the flat metal top piece). But for lighter equipment, it's great.
Overall, it's hard to recommend this stand, as it can be problematic, but it can be useful as well, especially for it's price. It only does what it looks like it can do.
The base legs of the Dave unit are very large, and although they provide great tilt support, they are often in the way of other equipment, such as the stand of my digital piano. They are simple plastic as well, so they don't seem as road-durable as other, more professional equipment. But in a pinch, they can certainly work. The tabletop itself can be adjusted so that it's tilted, but the plastic surface is too smooth to safely hold any equipment on an angle; at least I wouldn't be confident with that angle. That is fine and all, since you can just set it to be perfectly level, but the latch and lock that controls this tilt is a bit unusual, and as a result, the tabletop is never totally stabilized, and it always is a bit wobbly. This can be a problem if you are pressing buttons on your device with pressure, such as a drum pad controller. So again, it is just not an ideal stand for everything.
The top surface is nice and large, and can certainly hold any sized laptop, and I've used it around my studio just to hold random equipment, and for that, it's great. Don't expect it to hold anything too heavy, because it can wobble, and the height lock is not totally secure (it's just a screw rubbing tight against the flat metal top piece). But for lighter equipment, it's great.
Overall, it's hard to recommend this stand, as it can be problematic, but it can be useful as well, especially for it's price. It only does what it looks like it can do.