This accessory turns a laptop into a dual-monitor workhorse

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/11/23/this-accessory-turns-a-laptop.html

Wow, something from BoingBoing shop that I might pause to consider buying. The problem is that so much of what we’ve seen in these posts is such rank shite (I’m looking at you, Damasukasu) that I’m immediately suspect of ANYTHING that’s advertised in a Shop post.

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Agreed. If anything a Boing Boing Store recommendation has proven to be pretty much the opposite of an endorsement. It’s an indication that a product is either scammy crap, dangerous, or ludicrously more expensive than it is elsewhere. And I’m guessing this recommendation falls into at least one of those categories too.

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The wonderful thing is that BB lets us come here to bash every detail of the product and the terrible copy. I pretend they are doing it for our enjoyment.

Also funny to think about how the magazines I used to read were full of scams and crap gadgets and cheap toys and it was never a problem, it was all part of the experience.

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I suppose. But at least those x-ray specs were reasonably safe. The crap sold on the BB store on the other hand:

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I bought a cool solar LED motion activated light once that didn’t suck.

But yeah. I use a dual monitor set up for work, and getting that set up was as difficult as getting a 2nd monitor and a HDMI cable… I suppose the benefit in this one is that it’s easily portable.

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I think about it the way I do buying tools at Harbor Freight. You can save a bunch of money, but expect the tools to break on you. Just make sure the failure mode won’t cause grievous damage to you or your property.

That said, I can’t see buying anything from the BB store.

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Alternatively you can get a cheap or used Ipad and get the Duet app, which cost around $10 and also provides a 2nd laptop screen. Which sounds like a better deal than spending over $200 on a second screen alone and you get to sell the ipad with little loss if you decide you don’t like this.

See: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/duet-display/id935754064

I have bought this (at full price) and it works nicely.

I don’t use it much, because my laptop allows me to connect 2 monitors (since it has both VGA and HDMI) which is a more productive setup then an small extra screen. So another good option is to get a few discarded computer monitors and place them where you’re likely to work (like at your parents)

Erm, excuse me? Plugs into the back of any laptop?? I’m using an Ultrabook that doesn’t even have an Ethernet port. The thing is fucking thin.

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