Third parties?
I'm sure many must have already asked (but I haven't time to read all posts, sorry): surely the same manufacturers who design, build and sell everything from TV stands through tablet stands to phone cases—and who seem to get their product to market within days—will find it absurdly easy to sell $99 stands that are 95% as good as the Apple ones?
And if legal issues could somehow get in the way (though I don't see how Apple could enforce any kind of exclusivity on a simple stand), if you have a friend who works in a CNC shop, or even access to a 3D printer, it surely wouldn't be difficult to knock up some home brew stands?
Heck, if you're feeling really tight-fisted, you could probably knock up something serviceable (and uniquely stylish) from the plumbers' supply section of your local hardware store?
It's hard to imagine anyone spending $1k on a monitor stand ... isn't it?
Anyway, to the nearest hour, how long till the plans for 3D-printable Apple monitor stand components are available on the net?
Biting the hand that feeds IT
