I have had my PS2 since the Oct. 2000 launch and have had not one problem with it. I leave it in standby mode all of the time except when I am transporting it. In fact, the first thing I did with my PS2 was get the vertical stand and set it in vertical mode. I have heard that the horizontal and vertical stands made by Sony reduces the amount of vibration the machine can make. It could be possible the the laser mechanism can get misaligned if there is enough force (vibration) to do it. If that is the case, then Sony should not be charging extra for the stands if it prevents these problems.