I have had my iPad precariously balanced against books on my cluttered desk ever since I bought it. This arrangement sort of worked but was never satisfactory. The iPad would often slide off the book it was balanced against, so I finally decided to buy a stand. I had a few requirements for a stand that would work for me. It needed to be small, due to the lack of space on my cluttered desk. It also had to work with an iPad cover on. I was not going to be taking the cover off and on just to use the stand. I searched amazon.com as I have a prime membership and two day shipping is free. I ended up settling on the Twelve South Compass, which looks just like the compass you use to draw a circle. I was concerned that the stand would “fold” or tip over when tapped, but based off the other user reviews I decided to purchase it.
The Twelve South Compass came in a nice looking box that Twelve South suggests you reuse. I could have reused the box if it had had a lid. The stand also came with a snug fitting black carry bag. The stand is well made out of solid metal that is covered in a silver powder coat that will match your iPad and other Apple devices. Some parts, like the feet are covered in rubber to stop the stand from slipping or scratching. The Twelve South Compass stand has two positions, one for display and one for typing. Open the three compass legs and flip open two small levers for the upright position. The iPad can fit on the stand in both the portrait and landscape positions. The stand felt solid and it was no problem tapping the screen without feeling that the stand would fall over. The extra bonus that I had not thought of, was the fact that I could attach the 30 pin cable to the iPad while it was on the stand. I find that I use the iPad even more now as I have been able to position it better for my needs. For the typing position you close the back leg and open a smaller leg that is embedded in the main third leg. This gives you a slightly angled position that is great for typing. the stand is small enough to take with you when you take your iPad. It is not the cheapest stand out there. But then, if you have an iPad you are what we shall call a discerning buyer who will pay a premium for good quality. The Twelve South Compass stand can be purchased for $39.99 at amazon.com or apple.com