I bought the BookArc for iPad yesterday and got it home to test out. It's a substantial piece of heavy gauge steel that seems very nicely designed and would be great to hold the iPad. Except there's a problem... it doesn't work if you intend to use it with a case even though they supply a second insert that's supposed to be used with a case. Here's what I'm talking about if you aren't familiar with it:
The insert in the pic above is "supposed" to work with skins (I have an iLuv Flexi-Clear TPU case which is ultra thin). The problem is that I think they developed that "skin" insert prior to having a production model, because it doesn't work. When you put the iPad in, it just flops over forward like in the pictures below:
According to TwelveSouth's blog on the product, this is a known issue and the solution is to use the BookArc WITHOUT the insert in place. I think this is a huge mistake if you do this and wrote to them about it (which I have not received a reply on) because while it does work, if someone accidentally bumps the iPad and it shifts from leaning backwards to leaning forwards, it's going to put a huge amount of pressure right on the glass of the iPad and I'd bet it'll crack some screens:
Like I said, it does a nice job without a case on in the insert, but there's no way I'm taking the chance of using it without an insert where there's a high likelihood of damage to the iPad. Their instructions to do so seem ill-advised.
The insert in the pic above is "supposed" to work with skins (I have an iLuv Flexi-Clear TPU case which is ultra thin). The problem is that I think they developed that "skin" insert prior to having a production model, because it doesn't work. When you put the iPad in, it just flops over forward like in the pictures below:
According to TwelveSouth's blog on the product, this is a known issue and the solution is to use the BookArc WITHOUT the insert in place. I think this is a huge mistake if you do this and wrote to them about it (which I have not received a reply on) because while it does work, if someone accidentally bumps the iPad and it shifts from leaning backwards to leaning forwards, it's going to put a huge amount of pressure right on the glass of the iPad and I'd bet it'll crack some screens:
Like I said, it does a nice job without a case on in the insert, but there's no way I'm taking the chance of using it without an insert where there's a high likelihood of damage to the iPad. Their instructions to do so seem ill-advised.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
