Final Thoughts:
Most of the LAN’s I attend have quite a distance from the front desk to the actual LAN party itself, and even farther when you consider the distance from the parking spot. The Antec lanboard is an ideal and priceless solution to the problems associated with moving your computer, especially when considering the alternatives of carrying your bulky tower with two arms or risking an expensive fall from your shoulder.
There were only a couple things that concerned me when reviewing this product. One was the slight flexibility of the plastic lanboard. I’m sure it is constructed to be able to hold a computer sufficiently, but combined with the fact that only 2 of the 4 wheels lock, I wouldn’t recommend relying on the wheel locks on a strong incline. I’m sure as you can imagine the combination of the flex and only 2 locking wheels might result in your computer going end over end, similar to a bike with only front wheel brakes. That being said, the easy solution to this problem would of course to be sure to use the locking wheels on the back or heaviest part of your case. The 2nd thing that I was concerned with was the adjustable straps clasp, it had the usual pull the loop through twice design, I personally would have like to see a clasp lock of sort, similar to what you see on heavy duty moving clasps to make sure the fabric straps don’t become loose during your travels. Seeing how I’m rolling around a couple thousand dollars’ worth of merchandise, I personally would have liked the reassurance that the straps won’t become loose, resulting in an expensive slippage of my case to the ground. Tying the extra length into a knot around the clasp was an easy solution to this concern.
Overall, I was impressed with this product and am glad to have purchased it prior to my next LAN event this month, I look forward to being able to get my game on immediately, as opposed to having a cool down period after my exhausting task of bringing my computer into the LAN. For a price of only $34.95 this item is significantly cheaper than buying a $60 roll cart from office depot, and has the added feature of being able to use the straps without the lanboard should the environment not be suitable for rolling. Also if you’re an Antec VIP, you’ll also get a $10 savings of your purchase of $25 or more, adding even further value to this great product.
The concerns I had with the Antec lanboard are very minor and probably not going to be experienced by the average lanboard user, however trying to stay unbiased and being the extreme computer travelling user, I felt it only fair to mention the shortcomings of an otherwise perfect product. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Antec LanBoard a 9 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Lightweight and easy to setup.
– Durable strap construction and comfortable handle.
– Ability to use straps with or without lanboard.
Cons:
– Lanboard seemed a bit flexible, would have liked to have seen thicker plastic in the honeycomb cells.
– Adjustable straps with no catch, felt like they could loosen from travels.