Getting work done while on the go isn't just a luxury; it's turned into a necessity for many working professionals. A good mobile workstation is incredibly important if you want to maximize your output while away from home, and it starts with a powerful laptop. Unfortunately, working off of a laptop doesn't allow for much screen real estate. Many laptops are limited to just a 14" screen, leaving you feeling cramped in your workflow. Enter the world of portable monitors, which work exactly like you think they would. Here are 4 reasons why their plug and play nature makes them a no-brainer for productivity.
Portable monitors are incredible for home labs
Productivity-oriented users often invest in portable displays to increase their laptop's screen estate. However, these screens are just as fantastic for your home lab. Since home labs serve as testing grounds for your computing experiments, it's easy to break things when you try to bring your insane projects to life. That's where these easy-to-move displays come in handy, as you can connect them to any device in your home lab setup and troubleshoot errors without wasting extra time repositioning the workstation to pair it with your PC's monitor (s).
4 Enhanced multitasking
Everything you'd expect from more screen space
A portable monitor offers the same benefits you'd expect from a stationary monitor in your main setup. More screen real estate means more space for documents, side-by-side comparisons, or playing videos. Most productivity apps support dragging tiles over to secondary displays, and having this capability while on the go just makes everything so much easier. Not having to constantly switch between windows takes a lot of cognitive load off, making your productivity tasks seamless.
When writing, I'll often have some kind of reference material up on my secondary display, and when I'm working at a coffee shop, I really miss that extra screen real estate that my home setup affords me. A portable monitor really changed the game for me, allowing me to avoid the distractions of the WFH lifestyle but not compromise on my productivity.
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3 Flexibility in any environment
Anytime, anywhere
A portable monitor gives you the ability to set up your ideal workspace in essentially any environment. They're typically small and relatively light, and can be powered easily off of a USB-C connection, allowing you to get up and running quickly. If you have a dedicated office space, purchasing a portable monitor will afford you the ability to take it to and from home as well. No more struggling to get things done in a cramped hotel room or airport lounge.
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2 Improved ergonomics
Reduce the load on your body
Laptops don't often provide a great ergonomic experience, especially if you're away from home. Laptop stands and other accessories can help, but one of the most common ergonomic issues is the position of the display. Portable monitors reduce some strain by providing a display that can be more easily placed in a natural position for your head, potentially reducing neck strain. They often sport kickstands, allowing you to lean them up essentially wherever is most comfortable for you.
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1 Better specs provide more functionality
Your stock screen can't do everything
This will depend on the model of portable display, but they often come with more features than your stock laptop display does. They may be touchscreen or compatible with a stylus, or can even sport a high refresh rate, allowing you to game on the go. Color accuracy on stock laptop displays is usually pretty good, especially for any workstation-type devices, but you can find portable displays that cover those bases as well.
An absolute must for productivity on-the-go
Getting work done while away from your home setup can be a challenge. Between all the potential for distractions, poor ergonomics and the cramped feeling of your laptop, it can feel like an uphill battle that's just not worth fighting. Using a portable display can eliminate a lot of the strife that comes along with completing productivity tasks on a portable device. They range in price and features, but once you find the one that works for you, there's no going back to working with your stock laptop display.