Meet Slope, a stylish aluminum clad stand that uses suction to hold your iPad

http://vimeo.com/53816268

Ever since I got my first iPad back in 2010, I’ve been constantly looking for the perfect stand. For a guy who’s all about minimalism (you should see my office), simply leaving the iPad lying flat on the table just feels wrong. Cases help, but I prefer stands that suspend the tablet mid-air, iMac style. That’s why I’m so excited about a new Kickstarter project. Dubbed the Slope, it’s an iPad stand with a twist, one that perfectly blends with your Apple-branded work environment…

The Slope is the brainchild of Chicago-based designer Erik Kittlaus. With its aluminum body that’s hand buffed, glass bead-blasted and hard anodized, this thing looks like something out of Jony Ive’s kitchen. It’s like a shrunken down version of the foot and support of an iMac, with a few added bells and whistles.

Now, unlike other more versatile holders, the Slope holds your device at a 66-degree angle. This is by design, but folks who value the freedom of multiple viewing angles may object.

The product has tapered base (similar to iMacs) for adhering to the flat surface of the supporting object, with elevated surface and chamfer beveled edge. Simply press your iPad gently against the Slope to anchor it in place.

And what’s holding that tablet to the stand?

“Suction via thousands of tiny air pockets functioning as mini suction cups”, Kittlaus says.

The material that comprises nanofoam was manufactured in such a way that it is laden with thousands of open air-pockets along its surface. Pressing an object with a flat surface up against the nanofoam forces the air out of the pockets thereby creating a vacuum, and it’s this vacuum that creates the suction you experience. You can’t truly grok it until you feel it for yourself.

The tapered base also has nanofoam, which allows for some eyebrow-raising use cases other tablet holders can only dream of.

It’s designed to work with most Android, Windows and Apple tablets that have flatbacks. With less than a month to go and nearly $20,000 pledged out of the $60,000 goal, the project has a good chance of taking off.

The slope should retail for $85 and will ship in March 2013. There will be two versions, one for ten inchers and the other for seven-inch tablets.

You’re gonna want to buy one, especially if you use the tablet at your desk a lot.

Trust me, I know what I’m talking about: over the past two and a half years I’ve been a happy user of Luxa’s iPad holder.

That accessory kicks some ass, let me tell you. It’s got six supporting arms with rubber pins to hold the iPad and other tablets or e-readers tight and secure.

A friend photographing the holder with my iPhone 4.

One more shot.

Trust me, once you get used to these iPad stands, there’s no going back. Generally, I avoid wasting money on accessories, but stands for the iPad are usually worth every cent.

Why leave the iPad flat on the table if it can be swiveled around to complement the angle of your iMac?

Stands like the Slope or Luxa’s products offer great versatility. They’re highly practical and, most importantly, let you do real work without joggling the device around.

I’d typically have TweetBot or Facebook running on my iPad as I write articles on my MacBook Air hooked up to a Thunderbolt Display.

Looks like I’m gonna support the Slope on Kickstarter.

You?