DeskMount
Review

DeskMount
Price: $99.00 (US)
Company: Marathon Computer Inc.
http://www.marathoncomputer.com/deskmount.html

I recently put a G5 on my desk. The problem? Nothing in my G4 will work in the newer machine. Not the RAM, not the graphics card, and not the internal hard drives, of which there are three. (Two IDE and a SCSI.) Now, my G4 is tricked out, as they say. It is fast, powerful, and has a ton more storage in it than the G5 does. But there is simply no room on my desk for both machines, and the floor space is at a premium. So what to do?

For me, the answer came when Marathon Computer Inc. sent their new product for review, the DeskMount. What is it, and what does it do? Simply put, the DeskMount for the G4 (a G5 model is in the works as I write this review) is installed atop your G3 or G4, and will attach to an included mounting bracket that you install under your desk. In effect, the DeskMount allows you to “hang” your computer underneath your desk. For me, this was the perfect solution. I would be able to keep my desk space, and floor space, yet still be able to access the G4 quickly and easily.

The DeskMount is made of aluminum, and is very rigid. It would have to be for me to trust it enough to hold an expensive computer two feet off the ground. The mounting bracket is solid as well, though you will have to purchase your own screws to mount it under your desk. Once the bracket is installed, using at least eight screws!, and the DeskMount attached to your computer, you simply slide the DeskMount into it’s frame, easy as can be. It is a very simple, yet very elegant, design. Easily removed and installed in seconds, simply by sliding the computer in and out. And the weight of the computer itself will ensure that the computer will not accidentally slide out of the mounting bracket.

What about the trap-door design of the G3 and G4, you ask? If the computer is floating two feet above the ground under your desk, wouldn’t the door crash down when you tried to open it? Ah, no fear there, as those smart people at Marathon Computer Inc. is way ahead of you! Included with the DeskMount is a safety lanyard, which connects to both the flip-door on the Mac to the DeskMount itself, which will prevent the door from opening all the way.

How does the DeskMount install on your Mac? Well, you notice those metal screws on the top of your G3 and G4? The ones holding the front and back handles? Marathon Computer Inc. includes a nifty tool to remove those screws, so that the DeskMount takes the place of those handles.

It does not get easier than this. Marathon Computer Inc. thought of everything, and I am very impressed with this product.

MyMac Rating: 5 out of 5