LapWorks' new US$64.95 iPad Space Dock (http://www.lapworks.com) could easily become my favorite iPad stand. It's flexible, durable and portable -- the three things I look for in a stand for my Apple tablet. Of course, that's in addition to affordability -- and the Space Dock is a little on the steep side, pricewise, though you can grab it for $54.95 for a limited time.

It's a low profile, aluminum stand for the iPad with a cool, modernistic design that matches nicely with the Apple tablet. According to the folks at LapWorks, it's cut from a rod of solid aluminum, then brushed for a clean, elegant and stylish finish. Besides looking classy, the Space Dock allows the iPad to position in both portrait and landscape postures.

The inside channel of the Space Dock is lined with velvet-like material to hold the iPad securely. The Space Dock’s T-shaped support arm securely screws into the back side of the Space Dock at three pre-drilled positions of incline, extending out to two-and-five-eights inches. This means your iPad isn't limited to one single incline position; you have three (58, 62 and 66 degrees of incline). You can set it for the viewing or reading angle that works best for you. That makes it a nice iPad companion for reading ebooks, watching videos or typing with an external keyboard.

The Space Dock is 5.2 inches long and one-and-one-eight inches wide and weighs just 10 ounces. The support arm detaches so the whole thing fits easily into an iPad carrying case, something that isn't true for most iPad docks. At your home or office, it makes for a good stand for using your iPad as a digital photo frame or to support your iPad on a kitchen counter if it's being used as a recipe book.

Elegant, tough and adjustable, when it comes to iPad stands, the Space Dock is out of this world (sorry, couldn't stop myself from runnnig with the pun).

Rating: 9 out of 10

-- Dennis Sellers