Hmm, a 16" freestanding USB-powered monitor for $99. Don't mind if I do.
Since I am a full-time multi-display PC user, using a standard, single-display notebook on the road always makes me feel like I'm working with one hand tied behind my back. I've grown so accustomed to the additional screen real estate that it has become integral to my work flow.
If you look through my history here at BetaNews, you can see I've tried many of the mobile solutions designed to bring extra monitors to the mobile office…portable mini-monitors, tablet-based screen extenders, and so forth. Unfortunately, none of them have stuck.
Wednesday, display company AOC announced that it will be selling its 16-inch (1366x786) USB-powered, DisplayLink-driven monitor for just $99 from March 16 to March 31. This portable display has a built-in stand, so when you set up your mobile office, you can pop this one out, plug in the USB cable, and let the productivity resume.
This looks like it will be my next attempt at the road warrior multi-monitor. It will go on sale at the reduced price everywhere it's currently available: Amazon, Newegg, TigerDirect, Walmart, and so forth.
Panel Type: LED, Widescreen 16:9
Screen Size: 15.6” Viewable Image Size, Diagonal
Resolution: 1366x768, 60Hz
Input: Power/Video over USB
Compatible with Windows XP/Vista/7, OSX Tiger/Leopard/Lion.
It looks promising, but I remain ever skeptical.