Just Mobile AluDisc Review
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Out of all of Just Mobile's highly polished accessories, the newly released AluDisc strikes us as the most outlandish pieces of Mac accessories we never thought had a place on our desk. This aluminum disc stand has the lowest center of gravity of any stand, but it wasn't designed to elevate your iMac or Apple Display, instead AluDisc is a turntable that can rotate a full 360-degrees giving you the freedom and simplicity of effortlessly swiveling your iMac or Apple Display in its place making sharing what's displayed on your screen to another person a cinch. If tilting your display up and down isn't enough, AluDisc might be just the thing you never thought you needed.
In a nutshell the AluDisc is a glorified lazy susan, but you won't find anything like it at Crate & Barrel. Funny enough, the AluDisc isn't the first turntable of its kind made for the iMac and other Apple external displays. Rain Design is another company that released a similar aluminum turntable for the iMac a few years ago called the i360, albeit it fully conceals the iMac's pedestal foot and by doing so it looks more bulky. Aesthetically speaking, there really is no other lazy susan like the AluDisc. It's clearly designed to be used at a desk setting whilst especially complimenting a product like the iMac or any one of Apple's external displays.
Just Mobile's AluDisc features a ball-bearing movement concealed with a round aluminum plate that spins around controllably. Straight out of the box, the AluDisc requires no assembly. Simply put your iMac or Thunderbolt Display on top of it, and you've got yourself a rotatable desktop setup. In a useful case scenario, the AluDisc enables you to easily swivel your display around in order to reach the ports around the back instead of reaching behind with your hand as you blindly try to plug things into ports. Ideally suitable for island-type of desks, the AluDisc lets you effortlessly adjust the viewing angle of your display, or in other cases spinning it around to face a co-worker or a customer. You do need to make sure that cables have enough leeway to freely turn with the display.The AluDisc is obviously not going to be much use for you if your display is positioned up against or near a wall.
AluDisc's brushed, radial aluminum finish really stands out, and not only does it perfectly match both Just Mobile's HeadStand headphone podium, but it also matches some of Apple's classic use of brushed radial aluminum on buttons, switches and surfaces. Albeit none of these are found on the iMac. The entire base is as balanced as your desk and sturdy enough to handle a heavy machine like the 27-inch iMac without as much as making the smallest wobble.
Measuring 11-inches in diameter - roughly the size of a medium pizza, the AluDisc is large enough to accommodate Apple's 27-inch iMac and any display similar in size and weight like the Thunderbolt Display. But we think the AluDisc's footprint is slightly too large even for a 27-inch iMac or Thunderbolt Display leaving extra space around the foot of the display that sits atop. Suffice it to say Just Mobile had a good reason for the design footprint.
Underneath, the AluDisc is fully covered with a black rubbery surface so flat and grippy that once you place it on your desk, moving it or even lifting it isn't easy even though it's surprisingly lightweight compared to its solid metal appearance - a mere 31oz.
We really can't fault the AluDisc for what its worth and we don't see any room for improvement other than having a more space-saving from factor instead of an 11" diameter. And although we really don't think the AluDisc will be any use to consumers sitting at a desk facing a wall, if you're in an office environment or in a place where you have no wall right behind your iMac or Apple Display and you find an accessory like the AluDisc particularly useful, then in your situation we think the AluDisc will serve a fine purpose that otherwise serves a niche market.
The AluDisc does what it's supposed to do, and that's turning freely at 360-degrees even with a heavy 27-inch iMac set atop. And it does so quietly and smoothly as one would expect when paying $70 for an elegantly designed, bonafide lazy susan. It's built well, swivels with ease, and it looks like it belongs on your desk right underneath an Apple product. If you're looking for a rotatable base for your iMac, Thunderbolt Display or any other external display for that matter, we think Just Mobile's well designed AluDisc serves its purpose perfectly. That said, we also think that the AluDisc is an overpriced accessory that does very little, constructed out of a thin layer of aluminum despite looking like it has been machined from a solid billet of aluminum and it won't work well if you've got a desk close to an object that restricts rotational movement.
