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RAM Seat-Mate

Super-simple solution that turns any passenger seat into a workstation

(RAM Seat-Mate product page)

RAM-Mounts of Seattle, Washington -- undisputedly the leading innovator and manufacturer of rugged, durable mounting systems and docking stations for mobile electronics with their patented ball and socket mounting system that allows you to mount practically anything anywhere -- has introduced the RAM Seat-Mate, a ground-breaking and stunningly simple solution for quickly mounting all sorts of computers in a vehicle.

At RuggedPCReview.com we've been analyzing and testing mobile computing products for many years. One thing we learned is that most of of those notebooks, handhelds and tablets are going to be used in vehicles at least part of the time. There are a lot of excellent vehicle mounting systems out there that do the job, but there is one problem: installation can be pretty involved, and once the system was installed, it cannot easily be removed. So this was a problem for situations where either ...

  • permanent installation wasn't necessary, or
  • a mounting system needed to be moved from vehicle to vehicle, or
  • it was advantageous to remove the computer/mount so as not to draw unwanted attention to the computer.
In response to the above scenarios, RAM came up with the Seat-Mate, a super-simple solution for mobile professionals that literally takes under a minute to install (and can be removed just as quickly). The picture to the left shows how it works and this video shows how quick and easy it is to install the RAM Seat-Mate. It's made of steel and high-strength composite and fits seamlessly into the RAM system of mounting and connecting hardware with their very large selection of patented rubber balls and clamps.

The pictures below show how the RAM Seat-Mate works with notebooks, netbooks and tablets. As is the case with almost all products in RAM's mounting system catalog, you can order a solution that works for you and your equipment. The laptop uses the Seat-Mate in conjunction with a base and the Universal RAM Tough-Tray Laptop Holder. In the middle, the netbook is used with the Tough-Tray II Netbook/Tablet Holder that is also used with smaller Tablet PCs and slates. On the right, you can see the Seat-Mate used with RAM's new Handi-Case.

What about pricing? The Seat-Mate alone costs under US$70, the trays in the US$150 range, depending on the type and mounting, making for a very economical mounting solution. Note that the Seat-Mate is not for everyone. It's not a permanent setup with wiring, there are no locks, and mounting on a seat adds flex. However, it's absolutely perfect for quickly transforming a passenger seat into a workstation. The Seat-Mate is also easy to transport or stow away as it folds into a small package.

See video on how to install the RAM Seat-Mate.