I’ve been working with a laptop as my main computer for more than a decade.
I used to travel quite a bit for work, and being able to take my main computer with me on the road was very helpful.
At my desk, I’d connect that laptop to a full-size keyboard and mouse and one or more monitors so I’d be more comfortable and productive. When I traveled, I’d have to live and work with only the laptop’s single screen, but it was not a huge hardship.
Fast forward 10 years and now we have the ability to travel with external monitors that are the same size (or smaller) than the laptops we carry.
I’ve been reviewing an external monitor from Acer called the P163Q dual screen portable monitor. This is actually two LED panels connected by a hinge that folds up like a laptop.
The screens are meant to be placed horizontally, so that one is above the other. The bottom screen has a flip out stand that adjusts so you can adjust the height and view angle.
The stand is quite sturdy, and the screens don’t weigh all that much (3.4 pounds), so they stay where you put them. There are also four VESA mounting screws on the back, so you can mount these monitors on a wall mount or arm if you like.
Each screen measures 15.6 inches diagonally and they are really thin. The entire thing is less than one inch thick when its folded up. Putting this in your bag next to your laptop is a no-brainer. Each screen has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, with a refresh rate of 60Hz, a contrast ratio of 100 Million:1 and a brightness of 250 nits.
The screens are nice, and fairly bright, but I’m not sure I’d be using them for color-accurate photo retouching or gaming, but for normal office tasks, they are great. Oh, also, they are not touch screens.
The connectors are simple. There are two USB-C ports and one mini-HDMI port.
How you connect them to your computer will depend on what type of video outputs you have available.
The easiest way is if you have Thunderbolt 3 or 4, which is a port that uses a USB-C connector, but it can pass through all kinds of data, including video and power.
A single cable from Thunderbolt 3 or 4 to the screens is all you need.
You do need to install some Acer-specific drivers before you can get them both going from one cable. When you connect the monitors to your Mac or Windows computer, there is a small amount of USB storage built-in and you’ll notice them as a mounted flash drive, where you’ll find the driver installers. You’ll need the drivers to get both screens working.
If your computer lacks Thunderbolt, you can use USB-C and/or the HDMI port. One of the USB-C cables in the box is a power-only cable. This cable is needed if your laptop can’t output enough juice through USB to power the screens.
It might take a little trial and error with cables and power to get both screens working if your laptop is older.
The screens also have built-in speakers, along with a headphone jack. The speakers are tiny and won’t be winning any awards for sound quality, but they work. I tried the P163Q with a Macbook Air and a Dell Latitude 9430 laptop and both laptops’ built-in speakers were had better sound.
So, how easy is it to pack up, set up and use the P163Q?
Once you know how things are going to connect and get the right cables in place, set up is straight forward and fairly simple. You do need a good bit of extra desk space, so I’m not sure I’d be taking these along to work at my neighborhood coffee shop.
Where these monitors shine would be on a business trip, where a person might be able to set them up on a hotel room desk or other work area. They’d also be good during a presentation in a small conference room, where you could call up a slide presentation on your laptop and turn the screens to the audience.
The P163Q lists for $329 on Acer.com, but when I wrote this, the Acer had it on sale for $279.99. They are also available on Amazon.
I want to mention Acer sells other portable monitors, including a larger dual display with two 18.5-inch screens for $399. They also have single panel portable displays sized at 15.6 inches for $149.99 and at 17.3 inches for $179.99. As always, these prices are subject to change by the manufacturer.
Even though this is a review of a dual panel monitor, I want to encourage potential buyers to take careful consideration in determining if you really need three screens in your workday, or if two would be sufficient. Almost everyone I know uses two screens on their desk, but very few use three or more.
I’m a freak. I have four screens on my desk for daily work. Your needs will be different.
Jim Rossman is a tech columnist for Tribune News Service. He may be reached at jrossmantechadviser@gmail.com.
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