I’ve long wanted to mount my first generation iPad inside my car, and when I first had an opportunity to get an inexpensive mount I jumped at it. I had used that mount for about eight months now, and have generally been very pleased with it. With a right kind of app (such as Waze) and in the right coverage area such a configuration can fundamentally change the way you drive. This Frieq car holder promises to do a similar thing, but I’ve decided that its limitations make it more of a liability than a benefit.

This mount is really solidly built and well designed – up to a point. Its many articulating joints and degrees of freedom ensure that you can fit almost any tablet computer that is currently on the market. However, I’ve had two main issues with using this mount in my car. First, the suction cup, although very effective and sticky, is just not strong enough to withstand the kinds of accelerations you regularly experience while driving, especially if you use it to hold a larger tablet, as I did. For me, though, even a bigger issue that I have with it is that it obscures way too much of your windshield real estate. My other car mount allows my iPad to “hang over” the dashboard, thus minimizing the windshield obstruction. I think that’s a much more preferable design choice for tablets that are six inch in diagonal or larger.

As a desktop mount, on the other hand, this mount works wonderfully. These days I get most of my news coverage from the apps I read on my iPad. It’s a wonderful way to get informed, but slouching over the iPad st your breakfast table can really do some serious damage to your posture. iPad is also a bit too heavy to be held continuously, especially if you are trying to eat at the same time. I’ve discovered that this Frieq mount is almost ideal for reading content on your iPad or for using it for typing. This is particularly the case if your work desk or the dining room table has a smooth surface, which enables a firm attachment. In this regard I cannot recommend this mount strongly enough – it has become an important accessory that I use extensively on a daily basis.