Field Monitor Pro makes taking a display on the road a dream
Posted by By Mitchell Weinstock on June 15th 2011 | Discuss
Categories:
Hardware Review
Tags:
mobile
laptop
monitor
pc
display
Big, bright and lightweight. Now there is a display that can tempt you to bring it along as a laptop companion on a trip.
Mobile Monitor introduced their Field Monitor Pro display at the Connected Traveler Showcase in San Francisco. It’s an ultra-bright 15.4-inch backlit LED screen delivering 1280x800 resolution in a clamshell 4-pound ABS-polycarbonate case.
“It is a no compromise second monitor that adapts beautifully to every situation on the road, said Larry Pensack, president of MMT. “It’s easy to carry, highly resistant to damage, and makes getting things done plain easier.”
The Field Monitor Pro connects up to Intel based Apple MacBooks or Windows based PC laptops over their USB ports using DisplayLink USB connectivity.
No special video output cable adapters are required. It has a built in stand, or can be hung on a wall and used in either portrait or landscape modes. And because it incorporates DisplayLink, it can used with up to six of these displays.
This display can be used in an extended display mode giving you lots more elbow room on your computer desktop. It also works in a mirrored mode.
Priced at $289. USD, it includes a built in numeric keypad, which extends the keyboard capability of the laptop. The display is available without the keypad for $10 less. Working accountants and auditors will love this feature as well as folks dialing numbers with Skype and Google Voice accounts.
What do we think?
I carry a 13” laptop everywhere I go, and the display is simply not big enough for working with Adobe Lightroom or anything that really requires a larger screen area, so I hook into a desktop display almost anytime I can find one. This display is thin and light enough to fit in a laptop bag and take along without adding bulk, too much cost, or even adapters for whatever you encounter. I think this will be a very nice accessory you can take on your trips without much concern for the excess baggage.
