From: John Hay (OceanCity_at_mac.com)
Date: Wed Sep 14 2005 - 08:06:14 PDT
Yes, I'd have to agree with Gaudo, please take my pre-order NOW!
In the mean time, anyone with two hands can make what works for me to
hold my keyboard and Newton while I sit on the couch as a potato. I
made mine out of that new composite plastic kind of a material, but you
can make it out of anything including clear or colored plexiglas say
1/4" thick, or masonite, or plywood, or cardboard, anything. I made
mine literally in ten minutes. I am handy with woodworking so I sliced
up two pieces of the composite white plastic construction material, hot-
glued the two pieces together with their special secret glue (Christy's
Red-Hot White Vinyl Adhesive(TM)) [Tetrahydrofuran Methyl Elth Keton
Cyclohexanone] made for the material, let it set up for the requite 30
seconds, drilled two quick and dirty round holes in the back panel for
the keyboard wire to pass through, added a stylus holder (not shown in
the original photo), slapped on an original "Newton" decal for kicks,
photographed it and added the name "LapStand" in PhotoShop with the
perspective filter and posted the photo here:
http://www.1234zzzz.com/pub/LapStand.jpg
I don't have the time right this second to draw out the plans, but you
can see roughly the sizes involved, which do not have to be anything in
particular, note I ended up choosing a 45 degree angle for the back
piece which I am pleased with but it can be any angle you want, and
sized it all so I can lay down my Newton portrait or landscape. As
shown in the photo I have my Newton in the landscape position simply
suspended by its own feet on the back side of the Newton catching on the
top edge of the back panel. No smoke or mirrors. I added a stylus
holder and a rubber band (ugly but functional) to better retain the
Newton so I can carry the whole thing around and it does not fall off,
and added a velcrow connection to secure the keyboard as well. i.e.,
nothing done to the Newton or the Keyboard to damage them or increase
their form factor ;-)
Here's one more pic, not as pretty or cropped, of the rubber band thing
and the stylus holder:
http://www.1234zzzz.com/pub/LapStandupdt.jpg
I made this as I was so inspired by the ClearDock(TM) stand which Adriano
so skillfully designed and then crafted. See his posts or go here:
<http://homepage.mac.com/adriano.angelillis/PhotoAlbum4.html>
You are welcome to "copy" my dummied-down quick and easy generic version
of Adriano's beautiful unit if you want to, or email me for plans or
advice, of which I may have neither, time permitting, but will do my
best to help.
John
9/14/05 gaudo issued the following on a "Need to Know Basis" . . . .
> If it's halfway affordable and can handle the Stowaway folding
>keyboard so it doesn't collapse in your lap I'd buy one so fast your
>head would spin! My hands are too large for the Newton keyboard,
>which is how I ended up selling mine, and I have to haul around a
>clipboard and a plastic display holder for saucers just to keep the
>Newton at the right angle and make sure I can use the Stowaway from
>my lap...
-- This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/ WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
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