3M(TM) Copy Holder, In-line, 18 Inches Wide, 300 Sheet Capacity, Black and Clear Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not up to 3M usual high quality products. September 30, 2010
I do like the fact that this stand has adjustable angles but am taken aback by the price/design ratio. The way that the legs attach to the sides of the support makes the stand wobbly if you are putting heavy books on it. The 3M engineers did not do their usual excellent job near design on this product.

The elastic band is basically like a rubberband my daughter uses in her hair, with two plastic attachments to it. For this price a few extras should have been included. I have envisioned my kids using it to hold up textbooks when working on homework and this stand simply cannot handle the weight.

Overall, it works ok, but for this price it should be much sturdier and be nearly perfect.

4.0 out of 5 stars I needed this. September 29, 2010
I ordered this stand thinking it would be a useful Christmas present for my daughter and son-in-law who will be spending the next year or two writing their doctoral dissertations. Unfortunately, it came in today when I needed to type a bunch from some papers so I set it up in front of my iMac. It fits between the blind and the keyboard perfectly and the tilt is adjustable so I can place it just under the screen view. I also like the elastic line guide, which I found adjectives in keeping my place on the pages.

First, it's great and I again I find myself asking why I don't own more 3M stock. I will get the kids another one because I'm keeping this longer format one for me. It allows me to place a book or 2 sheets of paper (I can just about squeeze in a 3rd) across the clear, flat plastic surface and easily see what I am looking at, which is a way more comfortable exploit for these 50 year old eyes. Surprisingly, the clear surface appears to be high grade optical plastic and does not distort images underneath. It's a marked improvement over those flimsy aluminum or plastic typewriter paper trays from earlier years.

Second, it rates only a "pretty good" and not an "Ah, ha" from those 3M engineers. I guess it cannot be help that the stand eats up a foot of prime desk space. This is unhelpful when its use is not necessary. The design suggests it is kind of meant to be semi-permanently fixed: The feet are study with substantial weight to hold heavier papers and such which is good. BUT, I'm going to enjoy to be very careful--where the feet attach to the plastic surface is flimsy, not reinforced and bond to break if occasionally moved. I guess that is why the assembly instructions tell you it takes only 30 seconds to attach the base to the feet to some extent than provide better detail on how to attach. So be warned, this is a handy, very useful product; but, unless you use it continually, you will need to assemble and disassemble the parts to move it to and from your desk. I'm keeping the packaging box for storage. At least it has a 5 year warrantee which I bet will be much used, 3M.

And I'm still buying another one for the kids; I'll probably break down again and get the wider format. And to other members of my familial who sometimes sit at my large desk at home: "Donna toucha the merchandize; you break it, I cotoffa you fingar and maka cheZe outta it".

4.0 out of 5 stars Super helpful and useful. September 21, 2010
This copy holder is great! I plan on using it to hold my recipe books while I'm cooking and to hold and keep my place on knitting patterns/charts while knitting.

I have the 18" size and it easily holds a large five pound book (I used Martha Stewart's Cooking School). It fit clearly, held the pages open well, and despite the clever design feature of being able to tilt the (for lack of a better term) book holder back or forward, the book stayed exactly where I put it.

This have plenty of great features and usability but here's why I can't give it 5 stars. The pieces seem slightly flimsier than I'd have expected and wonder how much of a beating this thing can take, but with care I think (hope) it could ending quite a while. I am a little afraid of over-tightening the knobs on the sides that keep the clear piece from moving back/forward. The instructions are virtually useless (the sketches are horribly undetailed and not close enough too see anything, with little in the way of description) but fortunately the piece are simply-designed enough so that a swift once-over will allow you to put two and two together.

Overall I think this is a great product and would recommend it for several reasons and for several uses. One thing to remember, though: keep the box it comes in! It's a great way to store the holder when it's not in use. It's a pretty heavy and awkwardly shaped thing to hold set-up all the time unless it's always being used.

5.0 out of 5 stars Researcher's, Cook's, and Musician's Delight October 21, 2010
I chose 3M's 18 inch wide copy holder because I generally spend at least a couple of hours a day doing research, gathering notes any from books or online sources. If it's online, I usually print out the info and highlight the bits I need. With the copy holder, I just slip the marked-up pages behind the elastic cord that keeps everything in place and type away. Sure, this holder is overkill for that, but even if that's all I did, I'd still want it: I forgot what it be like not having a cat constantly trying to sit on a flat piece of paper.

But it isn't just that. The holder holds books - several small open ones at once if I need it. It's also easy to turn the pages as I complete my transcriptions.

And finally, I'm going to be working on new edition of several of my novels and the only way to work on a manuscript - to make changes that are more than grammatical fixes - is to work off a printed-out manuscript. I expect I'll be ready to worship the copy holder once I get into that phase of work.

The copy holder is designed to sit between keyboard and monitor, but I single use a laptop. I also prefer to do most of my writing on a huge tall coffee table in my living room, so I simply set the big, heavy copy holder up there. It works great next to the computer, or even slightly behind it.

We've found the holder is also great for holding recipes in the kitchen and it now doubles as a heavy-duty music stand on my piano. It's great! No more falling music books!

Overall, this isn't a impressively portable copy holder and it takes up a lot of space, though the clear Lucite keeps it from looking as bulky as it is. For me, it's worth every inch it eats - and since it's clear, it doesn't look as bulky as it is. I love it!

4.0 out of 5 stars Adds a new study level November 14, 2010
This was very easy to set up though it be one of those rare occasions when the pictures were not very useful at all. Basically you just need to open the dials on the underside parts so you can fit the clear plastic part in. It is easier if you figure out the approximate tilt and height you will need for the clear plastic part that supports your written materials before you tighten up the sides but it is fairly amenable to change. If you are even somewhat fanatical about all things being exactly even, it will cause you to get out a spirit level because otherwise you will fuss at it for awhile.

I work from home and use a variety of research books, some of which are quite considerable well over the 300 page limit of this page holder; however, if the book fits in the bottom lip, the holder will support it. I have a roll top desk so by using a variety of heights and drawers, I am able to keep three laptops working at the same time, as in good health as having four to five research books open. This opened a whole new level for me in a space that was largely wasted.

I really like the way I was able to get this to drop an open book at sight level between the top shelf and the desktop surface of my desk. It created a level 1 ½ which is incredibly useful.

This is also sturdy. I enjoy several bookholders, one even fashioned by a metal working friend who noticed that I needed something sturdier for some of my books while she was in my office. The only advantage over those are that I am able to use clips to hold books open as well as magnets to save notes in place. The base on this is able to keep the entire unit as stable as the metal book holders but obviously not hold notes with magnets. Not a serious problem although I expect I will be using clips on it shortly plenty.

There are two flaws that bother me. The clear plastic itself: it's like waiting for a ding on a new car. You want to get it over with so you can go back to being free and easy. Yes, I'm still waiting for the first score so I don't have to be careful anymore. Understandably this is a strength and a flaw. The other is that even when I am using books under 300 pages, one side of the base pieces sometimes tilts. If it comes down, everything on my desk comes down with it. If the bases were a little heavier, that would product it an even better product.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very functional! October 10, 2010
This is a very useful product. It holds items such as books, papers, and it can even be used as an art easel! The leg arrangement makes it a bit bulky and awkward to move around--but it is also the unique leg arrangement that allows it to be adjusted in so many ways and the weight of the legs is what keeps it sturdy. I approaching the clear plastic backing which actually creates a very clean, contemporary, and lightweight appearance.

Bottomline: Great item if you don't need to move it around a lot!

3.0 out of 5 stars Very good for large books October 14, 2010
This stand is really good for colossal books, like albums or something like that. However it does take up a lot of space and therefore it's too much for anything smaller and when I tried it with my 14" laptop it didn't hold very well. Maybe something like a tablet would be a better fit...

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for academic and professionals--easy to assemble September 24, 2010
While not being familiar with the rest of the market, I am impressed by this product. It is like the metal book holders which I have used before, the ones that keep the pages undo. But it works with documents. For a researcher, this is a helpful tool in order to type commentary at the computer while retaining the documents vertically. Set up is simple. The only problem is that the string keeping the documents in place sometimes is liable to come loose. Other than that, I really like it.

3.0 out of 5 stars Poor Leg Design April 27, 2007
This item was recommended for a couple of employees who be having neck problems. They love it. Now other people want to order it. It's big, so you need to have the space to position it properly between the keyboard and monitor.



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