TUAW Faceoff: MovieWedge vs. MiniRizer

I was surprised to find my MovieWedge in today's mail as well. I ordered it shortly after midnight on Thursday (technically Friday morning), and it was in my mailbox on Monday. Nice and quick!

It's smaller than I thought it would be, but it works beautifully. It's roughly the size and weight of the bean bags I used when I learned how to juggle. I'll toss this into a pocket of my backpack when I travel, and I see no need for a carrying case.

I plan to use it on planes, subways/trains, and when I'm falling asleep in hotels. I tested it on my leg with some heavy bouncing, and it handled great. It's very stable and secure, and I think it'll be far more flexible than the non-bean bag style stands. For $9.95 + $4.95 shipping, I am very happy with this purchase.

Like Gina, I found the white tag distracting on the black bean bag, so I cut it off. I may have been willing to keep it if it were more subtle, like a black tag with white printing on it.

@JB
Thanks! :)

@Jonathan. MovieWedge is cool. I just ordered 2. thxs!

I have a Batrest, and while I think it is a cool idea, I have to take my case off and it has to be in there just so. I just ordered a moviewedge because of it's versatility on uneven surfaces. I look forward to receiving it. :o)

I prefer the iBend. Cheaper, cleaner, more fun to use and portable. I've never even heard of these 2 stands...

check it out at myiBend.com

@ealmasy
Forgot to answer the last part of your question: MovieWedge does not come with a carrying case. Didn't seem practical as it's a pretty durable item as is. We might re-visit the idea in a future revision though.

First of all, let me just say that I'm the creator of the MovieWedge and I appreciate all the comments I'm reading here - some great feedback!

Now to answer some of the questions I'm seeing here:

@Stu J
For International shipping, that was the best rate I could find. It's actually the rate for a USPS Priority Mail flat-rate envelope. MovieWedge fits in there nicely.

@brian
I'm all for the "do-it-yourself" solution if that's your thing. In fact, if it wasn't for "doing it myself," I wouldn't have come up with the MovieWedge. Let's see what you can come up with - there's plenty of room for innovation in this area :)

@ealmasy
MovieWedge weighs 2.5oz, it eliminates the vibration problem by absorbing it and even stands up to sitting on my car dashboard with my iPhone in it while my niece watches a movie. I've even taken it on an extreme outing and really slammed on the brakes and took corners pretty hard in an effort to dislodge it - but it held firm. Airplane turbulence is no match for it as well. Not sure I could say the same for the MiniRizer (but I wouldn't mind being proven wrong) :)
@BJ Nemeth
Thank you for your order!

@Tomasz
Will have to kindly disagree with your sentiment and wish to thank Victor for a well-done review! Would loved to have come out ahead by more than a nose but that's just my competitive spirit.

I'm wondering what's wrong with the little plastic stand that already comes with the iPhone / touch - works for me!

I have to say, I'm kind of confused by TUAW's editorial remit, if there even is one. I'm wondering why this sort of thing is important, and Apple's massive UK price hikes aren't even worth a sniff: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2009/03/apples_brave_price_rise.html

this must be the stupidest post iv ever seen ... have u people really run out of things to talk about?

A couple of details it would be nice to cover:

Weight? When traveling, every ounce counts. It's pretty easy to get some idea on the MiniRizer from the photos, but depending on what they use for filling, the MovieWedge could be very light for its size or kind of heavy.

Vibration? Particularly when flying, vibration from the plane (train, car, whatever) can make it extended video viewing less comfortable. Does the MovieWedge help eliminate some of that?

And finally, does the MovieWedge include any sort of case? From the review and the description on their web site I'd assume not. Stuck in the bottom of your bag or stuffed in a pocket, it seems like the MovieWedge could end up pretty grungy after several extended trips.