I use mine for my PS4. Bring it with me when I go to a friend's house or vacation and I love it cause all it needs is just one USB port for power (which the PS4 has two ports) so just need one plug in outlet to use both the monitor and system. Only downside to the monitor that I use is that it doesnt have any built in speakers so I have to use an external speaker if I need the sound. I use mine probably once a month.
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ASUS Announces First Portable 15.6-Inch USB-C Display
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I use mine for my PS4. Bring it with me when I go to a friend's house or vacation and I love it cause all it needs is just one USB port for power (which the PS4 has two ports) so just need one plug in outlet to use both the monitor and system. Only downside to the monitor that I use is that it doesnt have any built in speakers so I have to use an external speaker if I need the sound. I use mine probably once a month.
I can imagine business travelers bringing this along to use in the hotel. Use just the laptop in a meeting or presentation, or at a coffee shop, whenever you need portability. Add the monitor quickly and easily when you have a stable work surface and need more screen space. Maybe for working on an expense report so you're not flipping back and forth between web pages.
I still don't quite understand how there's no way to power this combination externally, but if there's an easy way to charge the Mac while running the monitor it would be a pretty good portable workstation.
Having 2 displays makes a big difference. It's much easier to view things side by side.
Whenever we need to make presentations in the field, on-site to either larger crews or clients or partners or whomever, we have a few Wacom 12" externals handy, to plug into the truck & use. These would be a lot cleaner than the clunky wire bundle that Wacom still uses. If only these had touchscreens...
So, perhaps a dumb question, but is there a way to use this display with a computer that only has USB3 ports? I know there are adapters that allow regular USB devices to be used with a USB 3 port, but are there adapters that do the reverse?
For about 10 minutes until the monitor sucks the battery dry.
This is why a one-port machine is such a dumb idea. Apple's making their devices thinner at the expense of a thicker computer bag to carry the dozen dongles/splitters/converters. A slightly thicker machine that doesn't require a half-dozen cable adapters and a hub is far more real-world functional.
ASUS today announced the first single-cable USB display that comes equipped with a USB Type-C port, allowing it to work with Apple's Retina MacBook and other USB-C machines. The MB196C+ portable display includes a 15.6-inch screen with a 1080p resolution.
The new monitor is the successor to the USB-powered ASUS' MB168B+, which came out two years ago. It features the same metallic finish and two-way adjustable stand, but according to Engadget, the display panel in the new model has been upgraded to IPS for improved colors and viewing angles.
With the monitor's single USB-C cable, a Retina MacBook can power the display without the need for a second power cord. ASUS' MB169C+ is just 8.5mm thick and it weighs approximately 1.8 pounds, making it a good companion monitor for the ultra thin Retina MacBook.
ASUS hasn't shared details on availability or pricing, but its retail cost may be similar to the prior MB168B+, which retails for $200 to $300.
Article Link: ASUS Announces First Portable 15.6-Inch USB-C Display
I don't get it... why would you buy this if you had the Macbook? Is 12 inches that terrible that you would need the extra 3 inches so you would buy this? The Macbook already runs at 1440p so why would you downgrade resolution for 3 more inches of screen real estate? Am I missing something here? I know I have a 13 inch Macbook Pro and bought my girlfriend a 11 inch Macbook Air and I can be on her computer or my computer and really not see too much of a difference. Maybe this was just a kick starter and there is more to come.
1080p? $200-300? Thanks but no thanks. I'll stick to using my iPad Air 2 w/ Duet at Retina resolution...
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I work while traveling, and I've spent the past 1.5 years traveling. A small, mobile secondary display is very useful when changing coworking locations every month or so. Once you start traveling around, working from various coworking places, you start to meet a lot of others who do the same.
I currently use an iPad Air 2 along w/ Duet Display. Works great, especially since I only really keep Slack or iTerm open in the secondary display. The beauty with this setup is that my secondary display is Retina as well!
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I work while traveling, and I've spent the past 1.5 years traveling. A small, mobile secondary display is very useful when changing coworking locations every month or so. Once you start traveling around, working from various coworking places, you start to meet a lot of others who do the same.
I currently use an iPad Air 2 along w/ Duet Display. Works great, especially since I only really keep Slack or iTerm open in the secondary display. The beauty with this setup is that my secondary display is Retina as well!
I have one. It's an iPad Pro connected to my MBP with a cable and runs Duet. Great way to have an extra screen when traveling to be able to have two documents open at a time without splitingbthem on the MBP screen.
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So this screen plus an Android USB-C phone with google apps and a bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo equals a laptop?
Probably neither. A portable battery charger has a separate output so when you connect that to the Macbook it charges it. In the case of the monitor it has no battery so it pulls the power from the Macbook. I'm not sure in what other case you'd have two devices with batteries connected to each other.
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Probably neither. A portable battery charger has a separate output so when you connect that to the Macbook it charges it. In the case of the monitor it has no battery so it pulls the power from the Macbook. I'm not sure in what other case you'd have two devices with batteries connected to each other.
No reason for that, but a 17 inch that has possibilities. a 12 rMBP with a 17 inch add on display capable of going in the backpack. That has possibilities.
I run a 23" monitor with my MacBook and it's barely big enough. I don't see the point. Are you supposed to put both on your lap?
It's more expensive but I prefer the iPad as a second monitor. I carry it with me anyway and using the Duet app and a USB connection it works great (and I have the iPad when I want to use that).
I would want to be able to use it as a replacement for a desktop monitor. So I would need to be able to plug it into the wall for power.
It's one of those things that you might never know you don't not need it. Ya know?
Exactly that. This is great for those that have a use for it (as I do daily), for everyone else Nothing to see here - move along quietly.
However without external power this is all rather useless - it'll kill the laptop battery in no time at all.
So, my Macbook is going to power this display? And what is going to power the Macbook, pray?
The single USB-C of the Macbook and no gadget to turn this into more that also can power the Macbook is a design flaw. I can get a gadget to turn USB-C into Gigabit ethernet, but I cannot both power the Macbook and use it. I can put the Macbook in Target Disk Mode, but I cannot power the Macbook while using it that way.
There are no decent (mini-)docks to overcome this. For instance, the announced OWC dock doesn't support the Macbook in TDM (they told me).
What is needed is a minidock that connects to the Macbook and that
- can power the Macbook via USB-C
- let other systems connect to the Macbook when it is in TDM
- have a few USB-C and USB-A connectors (USB 3.1)
- have one or two thunderbolt connectors (to connect that older gadgets)
Apple delivers a USB-C to VGA and HDMI that can also power the Macbook at the same time. $90 each and you can't use multiple at the same time. No ethernet and external monitor concurrently, let alone while charging.
Having a single connector is fine, but they should have at least have offered a small dock to provide some flexibility.
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The single USB-C of the Macbook and no gadget to turn this into more that also can power the Macbook is a design flaw. I can get a gadget to turn USB-C into Gigabit ethernet, but I cannot both power the Macbook and use it. I can put the Macbook in Target Disk Mode, but I cannot power the Macbook while using it that way.
There are no decent (mini-)docks to overcome this. For instance, the announced OWC dock doesn't support the Macbook in TDM (they told me).
What is needed is a minidock that connects to the Macbook and that
- can power the Macbook via USB-C
- let other systems connect to the Macbook when it is in TDM
- have a few USB-C and USB-A connectors (USB 3.1)
- have one or two thunderbolt connectors (to connect that older gadgets)
Apple delivers a USB-C to VGA and HDMI that can also power the Macbook at the same time. $90 each and you can't use multiple at the same time. No ethernet and external monitor concurrently, let alone while charging.
Having a single connector is fine, but they should have at least have offered a small dock to provide some flexibility.
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Except that a decent hub still isn't available.
You're missing the intended use of a portable monitor as a secondary display. Lots of people prefer working with two monitors, and this is much easier than lugging a 20" traditional monitor around with you. It's not something intended for everyone, but primarily business travelers who want a mobile office.
And to answer someone else's question, you don't set this up on your lap and juggle both. You would use it on a desk or table. Being able to carry a lightweight display in your laptop bag with your laptop is a really nice thing for a lot of people. It's heavier than a bigger laptop of course, but it's not really comparable.
We've used them occasionally at work with Surface tablets because it's easy to carry a Surface and an ultra-portable display and set them up at a test site. Sometimes two displays is simply better than one for a particular application.