Amongst other surveys, one is frequently cited that says a second monitor will increase productivity by an average of 42 percent (Jon Peddie Research). Now you can take a second monitor and its productivity gain with you. MEDL Tech has announced the world’s first portable 13.3″ LCD monitor which they’re calling The Panel. The Panel has as many practical applications as a traditional second monitor and its portability allows for additional scenarios where it could be a perfect solution.
The Panel measures in at 13.3 inches with a WXGA format and 16:10 ratio. The maximum resolution it supports is 1280 x 800. The Panel has a 5 hour battery life, extending its portability to times when you don’t have access to an outlet. It weighs in at 2.2 pounds, making it a little lighter than most notebooks and about the same weight as a netbook. The Panel covers the gamut in the inputs that it accepts:
- Mini-USB (USB 2.0)
- Mini-HDMI
- VGA1
- Component Video1
- S-video1
- DVI2
A small detail from a press release detailing its launch at the DEMO conference:
Not limiting itself to just laptops, The Panel can be used with portable video players, cameras, DVD players, iPhones, iPods and gaming platforms such as Xbox and PS3.
MEDL’s website boasts that The Panel can be setup as a second monitor in as little as 10 seconds. That’s faster than most people can hook up a projector! Replacing the use of a projector might be one scenario that The Panel can take on. If you’re giving a presentation to a small group or collaborating with a few people, you can swing The Panel around to wherever they need it and have one person at the helm operating the laptop.
(Images courtesy the MEDL Technology site.)
There’s no price or availability date listed on their site and only the prototype has been shown so far. You can find out the details on Medl Technology’s The Panel from their website and sign up to receive updates: http://www.medltech.com/product.html
While we’re talking about multiple displays, it seems worth mentioning EVGA’s less portable version of this called The Interview. It certainly seems worth checking out with its rotating stand and hinged dual display monitors.
(Image courtesy of the EVGA website.)
And just for the sake of having something to trump that… a 6 monitor display.
(Image courtesy JonPeddie.com.)
I’d certainly take one of those off your hands if anybody is just giving a setup like that away…