In the image it's on his lap, not the tray table. I agree, using the tray is not worth it. The ideal is a tray that folds in half so I can use that to hold a drink and keep the machine on my lap.

The tradeoff of poor comfort is insane productivity, for me anyway. Being restricted in place, no wifi, inconvenient toilet breaks, not in control of meal times, all means I get a lot of work done