Lightweight, Portable USB 3.0 Monitor Upgrades Remote Offices
An electronics manufacturer just released a lightweight, high-definition flat-screen monitor that increases in-the-field workers' screen real estate.
The 16-in., 2.3-lb screens, made by AOC International, Taipei, Taiwan, are "just fabulous," says Connie Fuller, operations analyst at Hollywood Woodwork, a Hollywood, Fla.-based architectural firm. "I work on the West Coast and in Florida, and I travel back and forth," she says. "I had a big Dell monitor before this, and it wasn't convenient for travel."
Now when Fuller travels, she can fit her tablet PC and two AOC monitors in a carry-on bag. She says she gets the same level of functionality at home or Starbucks.
The new screen has one USB 3.0 plug that both powers the screen and sends data. It supports 640- by 480-pixel resolution but can go as high as 1,366 by 768 pixels at 60 Hz. There are other options for the road-warrior construction executive, such as a similar monitor from Toshiba. But at $130, AOC's offering is much less expensive. It is both Mac- and PC-compatible; Toshiba's is not. A folding metal stand allows the AOC screen to function vertically or horizontally.
If traveling workers need even more screen space, another option is to use an iPad along with an app such as Air Display, which operates via WiFi and turns the iPad into a touchable second monitor.
