The Freedom II from MountMe is a universally adaptable mounting solution for the iPad 2. It offers options for in-car, on the wall, in your lap, and on your desk settings.
FreedomII for iPad 2
Freedom II in suction cup mode
The Freedom II will pan 360 degrees and tilt 90 degrees. It is equipped with screws for permanent mounting, a heavy duty strap for a headrest, car visor, your leg, or any other object you can wrap a strap around. There are also four heady duty suction cups that easily attach to the bracket that will provide a secure mounting option for hard surfaces such as glass, mirrors, or some refrigerators.
The bracket acts as a kickstand for either vertical or landscape use. The Freedom II is made from a strong, hard plastic. The MSRP is US$44.99.
Using the product
Once I figured out how to attach the stand to the back, which wasn’t easy because you have to put your hand between the back of the case and the back of the stand — a space of about 1-¾ inches, I thought I was all set. Unfortunately that was not the case. I was not able to completely seat my iPad 2 in the case itself. I really tried. I even placed my iPad and the case face down on a padded surface, stood over it, and pressed — trying to get that fourth corner to pop in place. It never did.
I will be the first to admit that my hands are small and I don’t have much strength in them, but I should not have had to try for half an hour to get one corner to finish seating.
The remaining three corners held tightly, and I was able to test the features of the product. The suction cups that hold the case and iPad2 in place on slick surfaces are excellent. I had no fears that they would slip.
Likewise, the belt feature is very versatile and easy to use. It easily slips through the slots provided for it and securely holds the iPad2 and case in the car. I particularly liked the option of fastening my iPad 2 to my leg while I worked. It allowed me to work anywhere I wished and the belt held securely with no slippage no matter how long I worked.
The kickstand option also worked as one would expect it to work. Although a very strong set of screws were provided to attach the case to the wall, I chose not to take advantage of that option.
The next problem I ran into was disassembling the case from the stand. I removed my iPad 2, which was almost as difficult as inserting it because of the tight fit. I was unable to remove the stand attachment from the back of the case. It fit together so tightly that I have not been able to get it to turn enough to unseat it from the case back. The documentation suggests that the user can remove the case from the stand and use it as a protective case. In fact, the iPad 2 Smart Cover works perfectly with the case. The case, along with the Apple’s Smart Cover would provide very good protection for the iPad 2.
Do I recommend it?
Somewhat. It has some good features and it is very versatile. I have to struggle to separate the problems that I had against how the general population might fare so that I can give an unbiased evaluation. I can see a number of women facing the same problems that I faced and I can see some men with large hands having problems with the 1-¾ inch working space. As long as the buyer knows the situation and says “what a wuss!” to me, then they should go for it.