Student produces, sells Apple accessories line

Although he doesn’t own a Mac himself, senior and informatics major Alex Spurgeon saw an opportunity and created a business selling his Magic Lapdesk, a desk meant for iMacs or Apple TVs that rests in a user’s lap.

He said he had always been interested in business and got the idea for this product
February 2010. He said his experience with informatics helped him with the e-commerce model, which is a lot different than having a storefront, he said.

“I saw a friend using a 27-inch iMac on his nightstand with the keyboard in his lap. I went home that night and started work on my first prototype,” he said.

This first prototype was made of a tough plastic, chloroplast, and had some problems, Spurgeon said. The next model was made of Plexiglas but was also too thin. The final product is now made of twin wall polypropylene laminated with dry erase material.

“I had two returned because the edge broke. That’s when I decided on a thicker material,” he said.

Spurgeon said he did a lot of work during the summer creating the website and getting a provisional patent for his product. He got help from his grandfather, who works in plastics, and also used his patent attorney.

“The provisional patent basically shows it was my idea,” he said. “I had to write it up and draw pictures for it, but my grandpa paid for it.”

Informatics professor Larry Yaeger gave Spurgeon feedback on his product. Yaeger is even quoted on Spurgeon’s website, saying that he “love(s) it.”

Spurgeon said the hardest part in the process was coming up with a name for his product.

“The names I would come up with, the domains would already be taken,” he said. “My cousin said something about the name ‘magic desk,’ but it was taken. That’s when I thought of putting in ‘lap.’ It actually worked out perfectly because now the Magic Lapdesk pops up with other Apple products like the Magic Trackpad when searched online.”

Sophomore Cindy Uecker owns a Macbook and said she thinks the Magic Lapdesk is a good idea.

“I think I would definitely use it just if I’m feeling lazy and would want to work sitting on my bed,” she said.

Three different types of Magic Lapdesks can be purchased at www.magiclapdesk.com for $49.95 each plus shipping and handling. Spurgeon said he has sold about 45 Magic Lapdesks so far and has had some international customers from Norway, Russia and Austria.

Spurgeon said he has a lot of other ideas that he keeps in his iPod Touch. For his next project, he’s thinking about an app for iPhones, something not product-based, he said.

“My goal is to sell a lot and use this money to start another project,” he said.