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Desktop Monitor With a Kickstand?

Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 5:24 pm
by LukeCWM
My boss wants a low-profile monitor for his home office. An arm with a VESA mount isn't ideal. He wants to use a desktop computer, but the monitor shouldn't block the speakers positioned in an arc in front of his desk. I don't know if he plans to have the monitor in front of him or to the side. I suspect it will primarily serve as a display for a music server doubling as a Facebook machine. :D So decent visibility would be nice.

I found a couple USB-powered monitors, and he seemed keen on the idea. Consider items like the Asus MB168B and the Lenovo LT1421. They are petite and have kickstands, so as to keep them out of the path from speaker to ear. But they appear to be designed for portability, as a second monitor for a laptop. The quality is probably pretty low, the price is high, and it's hard to find decent reviews on them.

I've heard some standard desktop monitors come with kickstands, but a Google search just finds a lot of discontinued products. And I worry about the viewing angle if they are cheap TN panels.

I think 1080p would be good for a monitor around 18-19", or perhaps 1366x768 if the monitor is somewhere around 13-17". If it is bigger, a bigger angle would be necessary to keep it out of the way, but then I worry about viewing angles.

Any ideas?

Re: Desktop Monitor With a Kickstand?

Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 5:46 pm
by JohnC
You're overthinking it, especially if it will be used for stuff like social network or to display track list for music player. Just buy something like the Lenovo's monitor you mentioned or something similar:
http://www.amazon.com/AOC-e1659Fwu-16-I ... b_title_ce
Just make sure to buy it from a place that allows easy returns in case if there might be a defect or software incompatibility.

Re: Desktop Monitor With a Kickstand?

Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 6:10 pm
by vargis14
Hum, Interesting I just might have to get one of these USB monitors so I can keep track of my desktop, browsing, temperature/cpu usage while gaming etc. I think I want something in the 11-13" size so I can have it right to the left of my keyboard since my monitor is a 37"1080p TV that is elevated a good 8" above my keyboard and the rest of my glass desk. I like the Idea of a Ipad type display that is light can be easily moved around and change from portrait to landscape with ease.

Since it is just for monitoring cpu/gpu temps/usage some simple browsing 10-13 inches would probably be fine with 1366/768 resolution, I think 16 inches would be too big for my usage/placement and 1366/768 resolution. Sure I am using a 37" 1080p TV as a monitor but I am not right on top of it like the USB monitor would be. Plus I do not like when I run 2 monitors on my 560ti video card's they always runs full bore and never down-clock like you would think the primary card should but I know now it is normal for my cards. I am also in the market for a video card replacement in the future. Does anyone know if AMD cards run at high clockspeeds with multiple monitors hooked up and do the newer Nvidias 600-700 series cards still clock up with multi monitors?

Re: Desktop Monitor With a Kickstand?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 10:46 am
by LukeCWM
Vargis, sorry, I don't think I'm qualified to answer any of your questions. Good luck on your project, though.

John, thanks for the reply. From the few Newegg reviews I could find, it seems like the Lenovo is the best of the USB-powered monitors. I'm worried they won't be as good as a cheap, normal monitor, but since I can't seem to find any kickstand versions of normal monitors, hopefully the little USB-powered guys will do the trick.

My boss wants me to research this so his wife can buy it for him for Christmas. :roll: I think I need a new job.

Re: Desktop Monitor With a Kickstand?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:10 am
by ericfulmer
I bought one of the AOC 16 inch usb monitors last year for under $100 (BBuy). It runs a separate driver that crashed every game I tried when running next to my GTX560Ti. But, it connected perfectly to the wife's MBP as a secondary monitor for her work (video editing). She can use it as a second screen to edit away from her desk if necessary, and when she wants to show a client her cut, they don't have to look over her shoulder (and thus breathing down her neck and looking right down her shirt). Performance is as you would expect from the specifications, but there is no noticeable lag.

Re: Desktop Monitor With a Kickstand?

Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:28 am
by Arclight