Actually.... That's a pretty neat idea...

It's gorgeous! And at $300.00 it's expensive. However, if you can afford a MacBook Pro, you can afford this beautiful piece of engineering.

I love it. But the price is pretty obscene. My iCurve is doing the job just fine for $25.

it's gorgeous. But 300 dollar is to expensive for this.

I love it! I was considering doing away with my 23" cinema display, but this actually makes me reconsider.

Power Support make a similar stand in the same orientation which costs appreciably less -- $40 -- for only slightly less shininess.

the whole point of the 2nd monitor with any macbook is to give you more screen/workspace! why would you close up the macbook screen? it can hold tools or less important windows. buy a imac if you want a slim desktop machine, its so much faster AND cheeper!

2 bookends and some lego pieces costs less than 5 bucks

This isn't a "dock" it's a stand. A cool stand. But just a stand. And since it's just a stand, at $300 it's a freaking rip off. 0/5

Nice, but I need my screen for the additional real estate!

NIce, but pricey for an accessory (my Powerbook was pricey enough). The Power Support one is much more reasonable, and still gets the job done (even if it doesn't have a cord holder).

Here's a $40 version.

Just make up your mind and get either a MacBook or an iMac. But knowing how indulgent Mac users can be about their macs I won't be surprised if this sells a lot.

A better design would be one where it lets you open the mac while still docked.

Nice but not exactly a docking station. I would really like a solution that doesn't require me to plug in all the cables everyday. $300.00 is not a bad price - if it were w full docking station with the ability to handle video, audio and USB peripherals.

i agree . . . it needs to be a true docking station to justify the $300 price . .

So wait -- doesn't the computer go to sleep when you close it? Isn't this completely useless??

kvh,

If you have an external keyboard/mouse and a monitor, you can use the MacBook or the MacBook Pro while closed. The keyboard or mouse will wake the computer despite being closed.

Actually, please note that the original product page doesn't call it a dock at all -- they simply call it a stand. Mis-identifying it as a dock was silly.

Not as silly as that price tag, though.

I have a MacBook Pro that I use all over my home, but when I am working on photographs, I need more real estate than my 15" provides, so I set it at my desk, and hook up a 24" monitor (Samsung). I also use a blue tooth keyboard and mouse, so my laptop sit closed (with just the power cord and cable to my monitor).

I like this set up because I have a big screen when I need one, it acts like a desktop computer, but I can unplug the monitor and take it with me anywhere I want with my wireless connection. It's the best of both worlds for me.

for $300 you can buy another desk to hold you imac
and have enough left over to fill up you tank... no matter what it is you drive

I am sure the designers thought of this but I do not believe the MacBook Pro will run while the monitor is closed. This is due to the fact the air vent for cooling is at the base of the monitor and only has proper ventilation when it's opened. I attempted this after I bought my cinema display from Apple and paired it with my MacBook Pro and had no luck. I later spoke to an Apple rep who verified indeed it would not work closed even if it's paired with an external monitor and peripherals. The notebook shown in these images is the older iBook so maybe things were a bit different.

Please note that I came from a Sony Vaio Z1VAP2 which had a dock and I also ran an external monitor which worked fine but the vents were on the bottom and size and the dock allowed for the notebook to be elevated from the desk it was set on.

I emailed them asking for a justification of their price...here is their reply (warning: Engrish)

Hello, Mark.
Thank you for your interest in our product.
BALMUDA design has started in Tokyo,Japan since 2003 from a new idea of everyday living.
We creates simple and stylish products which bring out workman's skill and pride of "Made In Japan" to its maximum.
Next is the opinion of main designer and founder of BALMUDA design Gen Terao.

A simplicity with resolution.

The least thing as possible and live passionately.
Today on this world, think about how do we want to live, that was how we felt.
That feeling was the our start.

We has to have excellent and long used tool to live with a fewer things.
The excellent tool is not only functional it has to have a fascination so people think it's valuable.
It is very important for the manufacturer to produce special products that become important
goods.
Especially all of us have faced with environmental problems nowadays.
Because the people doesn't throw away the important goods.

We keep making an effort so that the product may become "Important good" for the customer.
For instance, process of machining from native aluminum.
It cann't be able to get by other manufacturing methods, and an accurate edge and beauty can be gained with our method though it takes works and time.
And all products are made carefully one by one.

We don't think great products have to be light and small.
And, when we design our products we are aiming to make it simple yet have a great resolution.
It is exactly same as our goal of living.
Therefore, our product sometimes might be heavy, large, and have strong character.
However, If you feel there are so much care,mind and resolution on our products, we believe there will be the chance for you to choose our products someday.

Also Next is our product processing.http://balmuda.net/v/balmuda/process/index.html
Regards.
Masako Terao
Customer support manager
BALMUDA design North America Support
www.balmuda.net/
support@balmuda.net