Three Screens to plug into your Laptop

[AZgl1800]

this is really getting "way out there"


https://newatlas.com/computers/s2-dual-monitor-laptop/

[Lady Fitzgerald]

The idea has merit but I'm not so sure about practicality, especially for Linux users. First, the Kickstarter site shows compatibility only with Android, Mac, and Windows, leaving us Linux users out. Second is screen size being just a bit too small to use in three screen mode with a 17 inch laptop monitor placed in the middle as illustrated. Third, since the added screens don't attach to the laptop, that might make portability when frequently moving too awkward. Finally, this is a Kickstarter campaign; there is no guarantee you will receive anything on your investment. The idea may pan not pan out or someone may come up with a better idea and bring it to market sooner.

[diyliberty]

It connects via USB cable which means at best it can use the integrated graphics on the CPU. If you have a dedicated graphics card in your laptop, the additional screens will not benefit from it.

I think this is more of a gimmick. There are lots of usb monitors that you can buy now. All this one does is puts three of them together. I don't really see a lot of use cases for it beyond the novelty of it.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

It connects via USB cable which means at best it can use the integrated graphics on the CPU. If you have a dedicated graphics card in your laptop, the additional screens will not benefit from it.

I think this is more of a gimmick. There are lots of usb monitors that you can buy now. All this one does is puts three of them together. I don't really see a lot of use cases for it beyond the novelty of it.

It requires drivers, none of which are listed as Linux compatible.

[diyliberty]

It connects via USB cable which means at best it can use the integrated graphics on the CPU. If you have a dedicated graphics card in your laptop, the additional screens will not benefit from it.

I think this is more of a gimmick. There are lots of usb monitors that you can buy now. All this one does is puts three of them together. I don't really see a lot of use cases for it beyond the novelty of it.

It requires drivers, none of which are listed as Linux compatible.

That is weird. I have a USB to HDMI adapter that I plug into my laptop. It works with LM, no additional drivers needed. I have not tried two additional monitors so I can't say if that works myself, but I have seen other similar products that do not need special drivers installed.

[BG405]

I'd love something like that. I prefer more than one monitor; pretty much a "must-have" when doing graphics stuff, or doing anything else if you need to use a browser at the same time.

Pity it's USB-C as I don't have this on my machines. guess this won't work via standard A-type USB3 ports even with a hub or dock and additional power? I don't know enough about this stuff.

On this T440 I've had it set up with a monitor connected to each display connector; one mini-DP → HDMI and the other VGA, giving 3 displays. Just need to fix or replace the ten foot DP to HDMI lead to connect the TV, it got strained once too often due to feline activity.

The old Dell Inspiron has HDMI, VGA and S-Video ports but only 2 pipes, so only possible to have 2 displays total.

[AZgl1800]

I'd love something like that. I prefer more than one monitor; pretty much a "must-have" when doing graphics stuff, or doing anything else if you need to use a browser at the same time.

Pity it's USB-C as I don't have this on my machines. guess this won't work via standard A-type USB3 ports even with a hub or dock and additional power? I don't know enough about this stuff.

On this T440 I've had it set up with a monitor connected to each display connector; one mini-DP → HDMI and the other VGA, giving 3 displays. Just need to fix or replace the ten foot DP to HDMI lead to connect the TV, it got strained once too often due to feline activity.

The old Dell Inspiron has HDMI, VGA and S-Video ports but only 2 pipes, so only possible to have 2 displays total.

there are adapters to go between the two, I have a couple of them.

for me, I only bought one item on Kickstarter, a flashlight, took almost 2 years for them to ship it, I had wrote it off as a bad investment.

in the end, it still is, the dern thing is broke and no way to repair it.

[TitForTat]

Useless IMO. On the go, I dont want any clutter or stuff weighing me down. Just getting the impotant tasks done until I reached my destination. And 90% of the time, there are big screens available, at work, at home, tv in a hotel. And you may have to fiddle with these things constantly.

"Just close the lid" is not an easy thing anymore Tell me with a straight face, that you really need these screens while sitting in a cafe (as the picture on the front page suggests or airport or train) and me already smacking one screen to the side because its blocking half of the spot next to you where I want to sit and enjoy my coffee

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Useless IMO. On the go, I dont want any clutter or stuff weighing me down. Just getting the impotant tasks done until I reached my destination. And 90% of the time, there are big screens available, at work, at home, tv in a hotel. And you may have to fiddle with these things constantly.

"Just close the lid" is not an easy thing anymore Tell me with a straight face, that you really need these screens while sitting in a cafe (as the picture on the front page suggests or airport or train) and me already smacking one screen to the side because its blocking half of the spot next to you where I want to sit and enjoy my coffee

I never take a laptop to a cafe, etc. anymore; I take an e-book reader instead if I'm dining alone. Dragging the laptop there and dealing with mediocre to lousy WiFI and its security issues (if they even had WiFi) was too much hassle. If I'm staying only one night in a motel, I might blow off the computer and just use the reader or watch the TV if anything decent was on.

This isn't to say that there aren't people who would have a need for three screens everywhere they went that would justify the extra hassle of dealing with them.

Before Covid, I would often be out of town from three days to a week (one time, two months) so the extra screens would have been nice but, since Linux has workspaces, which I frequently use, I can live without the extra screens, not to mention I often wouldn't have room for them. Several times, though, I could have used a scanner, and I now have a "portable" one in the roll-around laptop bag I now have (I'm old enough and the laptop alone is heavy enough to justify the bag).

[Hoser Rob]

... the Kickstarter site shows compatibility only with Android, Mac, and Windows, leaving us Linux users out....

Well, no surprise there. I'd be concerned about something like this that's relying on Kickstarter though.

[trike lady]

Its more of a novelty to me and more clutter on the desk. My laptop and my phone stay home. Unless I was doing CAD I might need it but then the screens are a bit small.

[TitForTat]

Perfect timing from Matthew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul7zgAnfayE