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Moldova, Chisinau
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Review on ASUS ZenScreen MB166C: 15.6" Portable Monitor with Anti Glare Screen, Flicker-Free & Blue Light Filter - Ideal for Productivity and Entertainment by Antoine Newton

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Ideal for programmers who work anywhere.

Exactly what I was looking for. I'm a software developer and I work both on and off the website. When I work in the office or at home, I have a dual monitor setup in addition to my work laptop. But when I'm really on the go, working in conference rooms, or doing team coding sessions, I really feel like I'm limited to one monitor. It's just nice to be able to spread code across multiple screens while working on related code. Or you can open the API documentation on one screen while vim is running on another. So I looked for a solution that would give me the luxury of having two monitors away from a conventional desk. My requirements were: * Must work with Ubuntu (Linux). * Should not require an external power supply. * Only one cable required. * Must have the same screen dimensions as my laptop (15.6") * Must have the same resolution as my laptop (1920 x 1080) * Must be lightweight. * Must fit in a laptop bag and backpack, ideal for all of these needs There are a few caveats that will help potential buyers make the right decision if understood beforehand.First, it's designed for Windows 7 or newer or Mac OS-X.But it also works with Ubuntu by using the DisplayLink Driver is downloaded from DisplayLink website Some Ubuntu systems (especially those based on 14.04LTS) also need kernel update. And in Ubuntu the auto-rotate feature doesn't work. In fact, with the current drivers it only works in landscape mode. I haven't tried it. If I override the defaults with xrandr or xrotate maybe with a little more experimentation I can enable portrait mode, which might be useful for programmers who like to do a horizontal split. It's a USB 3 device. I also tried a USB 2, but it had to be connected through an active hub. My other monitors also have USB 3 ports, but they don't supply enough power to power this unit. But when plugged directly into my laptop's USB 3 ports (mains or battery powered) or into the docking station, it works fine. However, if your USB 3 ports can't deliver enough power, you may need a powered hub. The color is good, although not identical to my laptop. I haven't explored the sizing options because they are close enough and good enough for what I need. The brightness control works as intended and the screen is reasonably bright. My laptop's color also doesn't match my full-size monitors (two 27" Dell monitors at work and two 24" Asus monitors at home), and that doesn't bother me. The screen is clear and sharp. And it displays 1920x1080 as I was hoping. I was expecting a delay, but I didn't find any. The mouse moves smoothly across the screen. The included carrying case is ideal for carrying and protecting your monitor. And good enough for the second purpose of a monitor stand. But I ordered a tablet stand instead which is better. The processing quality of the monitor is good. it's thin, light, beautiful and quite durable. It doesn't feel "cheap". I recently hooked up a monitor to my laptop when the laptop was docked to run two 27" Dell monitors and I was almost surprised that everything worked. Great. Including the laptop's own screen, I had four monitors that acted as an extended desktop. In combination with virtual Ubuntu desktops, the storage space has really become free. So if you need a portable 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 monitor to use with your laptop, great. Be ready to use USB 3 and use a compatible operating system. Two monitors prefer, even on the go, hard to beat for the price.

img 1 attached to ASUS ZenScreen MB166C: 15.6" Portable Monitor with Anti Glare Screen, Flicker-Free & Blue Light Filter - Ideal for Productivity and Entertainment review by Antoine Newton



Pros
  • computers and accessories
Cons
  • Screen Tearing: This occurs when the monitor's refresh rate is too slow, causing the image to appear choppy or distorted.

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