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Bulgaria, Sofia
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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 Paul Michaud

Revainrating 4 out of 5

A great wearable display, probably the best option.

I have BOTH USB 3.0 ("B") and USB C ("C") versions of this monitor and it can be difficult to read some of the reviews as you will see conflicting information - In my opinion there should be three completely different products on Revain, each with their own reviews, but since they're mixed it can be difficult to tell when people are talking about something you're interested in. Your cases are different. The C version of the case is MUCH better, more adjustable and not as fragile as the stand than the B version. In both cases, while they make great covers/protectors, they are lousy stands. I don't understand how it will tip over on its own if you set it up properly, but with limited tabletop space, bases take up an awful lot of space for what they do. I often travel and work in a production trailer and just don't have that luxury, but even at my home desk I can move my laptop away to make plenty of room for work, while this ASUS monitor should be much closer than my viewing distances to the screens do not match. If you need less desk space, a separate stand is recommended. The displays on both versions of the monitor are actually quite good - probably better than most cheaper laptop screens, but nowhere near as good as the best laptop screens. Honestly, the Dell I'm using has a UHD display, not a fair comparison. The "B" version screen I use with my ACER Aspire is probably better than the built in display. Both of my laptops came with Displaylink drivers already installed, so both monitors worked without any additional installs. The 'B' version comes with a drive, the 'C' version doesn't - if your laptop is good enough to take advantage of the 'C' version, it doesn't seem necessary . In both cases I'm running Windows 10 and the hard drive that came with version "B" complained that the driver wouldn't work with my OS and advised me to go to the Displaylink website anyway, so that was pretty good pointless. Only the connections on each monitor are different, the controls too. Version "B", as I understand it, has only a power button and brightness settings. The "C" version has menus that offer many more options, including contrast and other features. There's no real documentation on how to use it, so it took me a while to figure it out (and I still can't figure out more than brightness and contrast). The menu button of the "C" version is a bit awkward to use - a rotary knob. So now we come to the display – this applies to both. Like I said, the display is actually pretty good. Perhaps not as bright as we'd like at maximum brightness, but more than acceptable. I played it on Netflix and didn't notice any lag or tearing. I haven't tried any games as I use my main desktop for gaming and don't play much on my laptop. If I were playing CSGO I would still use the laptop display. The viewing angle is decent. Never as wide as I'd like, but comparable to most laptop screens (and actually better than my ACER). I'm very glad I got this - I travel a lot for work and use graphics software that has a separate output. windows, and trying to work on the software screens while still seeing the output really sucks with a single monitor. It's also nice for a programmer to have more free screen real estate while working on the go, but also when I'm at home and using my laptop to work on the porch or anywhere other than my desk. For reference, "C" will be very picky about what it works with. It will NOT work with ACER's USB-C port, it will work with Dell XPS. The "B" version works with any of them, so if you need broader compatibility, the "B" version is the best choice. The "C" version has a better body and controls, and theoretically (although I can't tell with my limited use yet) a faster update. As I said, I've played Netflix on both and enjoyed them both. If you know the "C" version works with your laptop (C with alternate modes that support Displayport) and you don't plan to use it on anything else, "C" might be the best option . EDIT: I will note that the colors aren't exactly perfect. Red looks more orange on my "B" monitor. As far as I can tell there's no way to calibrate it, not even a little - the only control is brightness. Not a deal breaker for me.

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 Paul Michaud



Pros
  • 8.88 x 14.18 x 0.46 inches
Cons
  • Unreliable connection

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