THE BRITISH TECH NETWORK

The Frame Shift from Darwin Machine

1 May 13

From the off, let me just apologise to Megan at Insanely Great Products for the fact that I have taken so long to post my reviews of these products. It was tardy and unforgivable, but what it's allowed me to do is thoroughly 'soak test' these products and, in the process, also fall madly in love with 'The Frameshift'

I know this is an overused, 'first world' statement...but I CAN'T live without it now. So, what is it?

The Frame Shift is a desktop stand for your iPad and iPad Mini. Simple. "But there are hundreds and hundreds of these out there Ewen. Why fall in love with this one?" you all say. The answer lies in the simple and stark engineering of The Frameshift (not Tony Stark though).

It's built from a high grade aluminium and has a nice feel to the touch. At first, given the Apple zeitgeist for 'nothing on show', the openly visible nuts and bolts were a bit off-putting and I have to admit that I wasn't immediately taken with the rudimentary design. That said, within two or three days the sheer functionality of this device had won me over.

You know when you buy something that relies on a friction bearing or fitting to do its job properly? Yeah you do. And then that 'friction' seems to leave the device after the warranty period or 'suitable for purpose' timescale has elapsed? Well, thanks to the access to the fittings which give The Frameshift its capabilities, that WON'T be happening here.

This item relies on a twin bladed support which protrudes from the back and is adjustable to allow you to find the correct angle for your iPad. Given the absolute necessity of this component, I was pleased to see that with a Standard Hex Tool and Adjustable Spanner, I can access this fitting and ensure that it remains tight throughout its working life...BRILLIANT!

This device has now carried my iPad 3 for two months. I'm not sure that my iPad 3 has even left the device in that period. Once I had bought my iPad Mini for travelling, the iPad 3 had become obsolete and was doing nothing more than playing SkyGo on my desktop, but The Frameshift has given it a new lease of life. Its now portable, I can lean it right back for when I'm standing up and cooking in the kitchen, or I can stand it more upright to rest my iPad like a book when lying in bed, or, I can push it almost horizontal so that my iPad can rest on my lap when I'm reading a book or paper on it. The flexibility is endless.

If, like me, you have an old iPad that has fallen foul of your iPad Mini's popularity then this is the device for you. And, it even carries your iPad Mini. Oh, yes, and it folds completely flat so that you can easily store and carry it.

Well Done, Darwin Machine. The Frameshift comes in several colours and is $99 available from Insanely Great Products

Pros - It just works! Its flexible and portable. It hits any angle. Its beautifully made. The adjustments are accessible.

Cons - Its a shade pricey perhaps but with the benefit of having used it I'd pay $99 gladly.

Thanks

Ewen