The Mountie Looks Like A Risky Dual-Display Clamp

Sometimes a product is just inviting trouble. And a clamp that mounts an iPad to the side of your MacBook looks to be exactly that.

The Mountie, by Ten One Design, is a small device that for $25 will help “support your favorite distraction.” The Mountie is for playing hard—like indulging that Netflix binge all night before that big paper is due. I’m not even paraphrasing their copy that hard. The design is pretty clever, but the risk doesn’t seem worth it.

I mean I get it. Multi-display setups are pretty cool, especially ones that use your iPad or iPhone as the second screen. But there are better ways than attaching your expensive tablet or phone to the side of your laptop display. And no matter how well secured it is or how cautious you promise you’ll be, it’s only a matter of time before someone bumps into or knocks over the protruding iOS device coupled to your laptop and you find yourself with two expensive repairs instead of one.

And no matter how many assurances about its safety the F.A.Q. makes, your MacBook’s display is just not intended as a mount point for other objects.

If you really want an awesome Mac/iOS dual screen setup, I’d recommend simply placing your mobile device on a dock close to your laptop. And if you absolutely must have the screen joined next to one another, at least get a clamp that doesn’t have to attach to expensive computing equipment.