I knew I would appreciate the Mountie+ because it’s something I had first imagined in my head, and then found on the web. I often think of little things that could make my life a little easier, but it’s such a rarity to actually find that things. That was me and the Mountie — a unique and very specific thingamajig that’s perfect for MacBook owners.
What is Mountie
Mountie — or Mountie+, the heftier model we are discussing today — is a small mount for your tablet that attaches to a laptop screen and creates a multi-monitor setup. It’s a great way of extending one’s workspace without buying a separate monitor.
In fact, you can attach anything: your phone, your iPad Mini — or your Pro. It’s powerful enough that you don’t feel anxious that your prized tablet will suddenly fall down. Even though it did happen to me — but that was my fault.
Mountie+ in action
Everything that I am going to say about Mountie+ can be said about the regular model, which is different only in its size: it’s smaller and has only one clamp, whereas Mountie+ has two for increased support.
You know, it’s insane that Ten One Design, a design firm based in Montclair, NJ, had come up with the idea before Apple announced Sidecar — a feature in macOS that allows you to use an iPad as a secondary display for your Mac. At least, I think they did it first… one way or another, it’s a perfect little device for people with a MacBook and an iPad. Another macOS feature, called Universal Control, is also great for this: you can control your laptop and tablet with one mouse and keyboard without even extending your monitor. It makes so much sense, Apple should be selling Mountie in its store!
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The way it works is simple: it’s basically a set of two clamps that attach to your computer’s screen and to your tablet/iPhone. A bundle with Mountie+ and a regular Mountie costs $49.95, and one regular-sized Mountie is $29.95.
I have the bundle, which comes in a small unremarkable package. Inside we find the Mounties themselves and a set of rubber inserts. Since my MacBook Pro 14’s screen is much thinner than my iPad Air 4, I needed inserts of different sizes. But once I found the right ones, I didn’t have to do anything else.
Attaching Mountie+ is a bit daunting at first: as a person who is always afraid to break expensive tech, I was quite a bit anxious to press on my display with the mount. But I soldiered on, and soon I had my iPad firmly attached.
Among the way, I made a few mistakes. Since modern tablets and laptops have much thinner bezels than before, when Mountie was first conceptualized, there’s less of an area to attach it to. So, I had to go over the bezel and onto the screen, which, once again, was scary. Thankfully, nothing happened. As I mentioned before, one time, my iPad fell down on my table because it was attached loosely, Don’t do that: go over the bezel for a better grip. Even if your display shows signs of strain, the effect doesn’t last after you detach it.
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I needed to use Mountie+ because iPad Air has quite a bit of heft to it, and I didn’t want any accidents. Also, the newest version has a special hole for charging, which means I can use my iPad all day without fearing for its battery (also, USB connection is much more stable).
After testing it for a few weeks, I came to the conclusion that it was a worthy investment. I don’t have a fancy monitor, and usually just use my laptop. Mountie made it possible to make use of both my devices, thus increasing my productivity.
Verdict
Mountie+ is a great way to increase your productivity and get more out of your iPad. It’s a simple little device that works as intended without any hassle.