Need
more screen?
Working
from a laptop gives you the option to go whenever you need without
having to lug something heavy around. However, if you've ever made
the change to a laptop from a desktop computer with a large screen,
you'll know how jarring it can be to lose all that real estate.
Unfortunately, the bigger the screen, the bigger the laptop needs to
be, so there has to be another way to get all that space back. There
is – it's called Packed Pixels.
Packed
Pixels is essentially a portable extra screen for your laptop – any
laptop, in fact. It acts like a mini monitor in it's own right,
connecting up to your laptop and then attaching to the side or top of
the screen. Once you configure your computer to recognise it – hey
presto, you've got a lot of extra space to play with.
Packed
Pixels uses a strap clamp to affix itself to your screen, with one
strap accommodating two additional screens. We were sent just the one
to try, which instead of creating a super-wide desktop for you to
use, is more like having a dedicated extra spot to drag a few open
windows or programmes. For tech writers like us, this extra space was
great for leaving browser windows with info open, without having to
reduce the Word document on the main screen, or having to do the
dreaded split screen thing.
And
boy, does it look great. The screen boasts a retina display of 2048 x
1536 pixels, and considering that is all packed into a 9.7 inch
screen, it'll probably be better than your laptop's main screen. That
awesome display opens the doors to designers and photographers who
might have laptops with lower resolutions. Stick on a Packed Pixels,
do your editing or designing on that part of the screen landscape,
and you'll see everything better.
There
is one very important thing to note, however. Packed Pixels is not
compatible with laptops with HDMI out ports only. The screens use
DisplayPorts, Mini DisplayPorts, and Apple Thunderbolt ports, which
means that most Apple laptops will be fine, as will Windows computers
with those connectors. However, we're sure that the vast majority of
Windows machines have HDMI for linking to external monitors, so make
sure you know your ports before considering. Fortunately the are
adaptors available to make HDMI compatible with DisplayPort. Oh, and
they draw power from a good old USB port, which everyone has.
Packed
Pixels comes with it's own little carry case to protect it while in
your bag, and as the unit is exceptionally light it really won't
weigh you down any more. The strap clamp is slightly less easy to
transport, as it features two chunky bits of plastic. You can't
really keep it attached to your laptop all the time, as it juts out
either side, but it – along with the included USB and display
cables that you'll need – can all be stuffed into a bag pocket, so
no big deal.
If
you need the screen space to work while on a laptop, this is great.
Designers and serious gamers will really benefit from a removable
extra screen with a spot-on pixel density, but writers and business
folk... maybe not so. However, as the screens can be mounted facing
away from you, you could always use it to give presentations, so
maybe there is a place for it in the business world.
The
price is pretty steep, but the quality of the image on screen is
great, so this really could solve your working space issues.
£149
(or £289 for the dual pack)