- VERDICT
The Espresso Display is a high quality and versatile product that is a game changer for busy users on the go. The fact you can take it with you anywhere is truly a big deal.
Thin and portable are not the most common words used to describe a monitor – but in the case of the Espresso Display – they are the only words to describe it.
The Espresso Display – which is an Australian creation – is a product that’s capable of completely changing your workflow and dramatically increasing your productivity on the move.
Available in 13.3 and 15.6-inch versions, the Espresso Display has a full high definition resolution (1920 x 1080) and is remarkably thin at just 5mm – that’s thinner than an iPad.
It’s made from aeronautical grade aluminium so it not only looks slick – but it can also handle daily usage on the move.
Users can simply plug it into their Windows or Mac computer and extend their screen even further.
This alone makes a huge difference to how you can do your work.
Being able to spread out your work to a second screen with a laptop is a luxury you don’t usually get to enjoy when you’re on the move or travelling
We use an iMac in our office and it’s attached to two other monitors but when we use our MacBook Pro we’ve only got the 16-inch screen.
We can use the split screen feature to have two things side by side but it’s a lot more restrictive than having a second screen.
This problem has been solved with the Espresso Display.
For our review we were using the 15-inch display which has two USB-C ports on the right edge as well as a mini-HDMI port.
This means you can connect a laptop with a USB-C cable and either mirror or expand your desktop.
And the best part is that the Espresso Display doesn’t require its own power supply when used with your laptop.
It doesn’t have a rechargeable battery – that would mean it would be a lot thicker than 5mm.
It also means you can take it with you – it’s as portable as it is thin. So it can be packed in with your laptop.
The 15-inch Espresso Display easily fit in our backpack with our 16-inch MacBook Pro.
And the display can also work with smartphones.
It’s a particularly good fit for Samsung devices which can connect through USB-C and also utilise DeX to give you a desktop experience – with the addition of a keyboard and mouse.
For iPhone users, it’s also possible to mirror your screen but you can’t do much else.
Apple’s Lightning connection is the roadblock here.
You need to connect with a Lightning cable to HDMI through a dongle and then to the display fron the dongle with a USB-C cable – and the display will also need its own power surce.
There are a few ways for the display support itself. First is with the cover that can also be folded into stand.
It’s also possible to also purchase a stand that magnetically attaches to the Espresso Display. This stand also fold down to the size of a CD case so it’s no problem to carry it with you as well.
There’s even a VESA mount option as well if you’d prefer a more permanent set up.
And it gets even better for MacBook users. When connected to the MacBook Pro you can install a driver so the Espresso Display can be used as a touchscreen – that’s a first for a Mac user.
Now anything you put on the Espresso Display from your MacBook can be moved and navigated by touch.
Windows laptop users are already used to having a touchscreen at their fingertips and this and can continue with the Espresso Display as a second touchscreen.
But one thing a user needs to be mindful of is power consumption.
Remember when we said the display doesn’t need its own power supply?
That’s still true – but the power has to come from somewhere.
In this case the laptop has to power its own screen and system and the Espresso Display as well so it will drain your battery faster.
So it might be an idea to keep your charger handy – or better still to keep it plugged in to power so you’re not caught out.
The Espresso Display can also be connected to other devices like gaming consoles and DVD and Blu-ray players.
In the case of the PlayStation, users can connect to the Espresso Display with a mini HDMI cable and you can power the display through the console’s USB port with a USB-A to USB-C cable.
If you connect to a Blu-ray player you’ll need to used your laptop’s charger through one of the USB-C ports.
The product has been funded through Indiegogo and is priced at $399 for the Display 13 and $429 for the Display 15.
VERDICT
The Espresso Display is a high quality and versatile product that is a game changer for busy users on the go. The fact you can take it with you anywhere is truly a big deal.
