Lenovo ThinkVision LT1421 - 2nd Monitor via USB

[palebluedot]

Curious if anyone has used one of these for a second monitor solution for their Mac Mini. It runs solely off of USB (no DVI cable, etc, no power brick).

http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/accessories/lenovo-thinkvision-lt1421.aspx

It is 14" running 1368x768 and costs $199.99 on Lenovo's website. http://goo.gl/rz4nO

It is not as nice as having another 20"+ monitor, but I really like that it could work as a second display without any modification to the Mini or special boxes, etc. And I could take it on the road with my laptop for a second monitor.

The video at the end of the first link indicates it does work with Macs if you get the drivers from the company who manufactures the guts of the display.

[billb]

HERE are the DisplayLink drivers. That display
may only work from a powered hub. You'll
simply have to test it first without and see
what happens.

I assume that its hardware is Mac compatible
because the Lenovo web site suggests that it is.
_________________
2011 Mac mini 2.7 GHz i7 with
16GB RAM, Samsung 512GB SSD
MacBook AIR 11 Inch
Mac mini, Model 1.1, 2.33 GHz C2D Proc
20" iMac G4 PPC

[dungeon92]

[tablatom]

I have a new 2012 15" macbook pro.
I used to have a Mac mini.
I sold it as i wanted a quad core as i produce music.
Well i am selling the macbook pro as the new quad core macmini is so much cheaper than the macbook pro.
I already have a 24" monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Now this screen has clinch the decision for me as now i have a very portable option for the mini.
_________________
2011 mid 2.7 i7 mac mini 8gig ram 7200rpm HD

[kclubb]

I have this AOC USB monitor: e1649Fwu running as a PRIMARY monitor on my 2011 Mac Mini. I had to do several things to get it to work, and I am not upgrading to Mountain Lion until DisplayLink has a Mountain Lion driver (I have Lion).

I have made this a pet project because I decided to go with a Mini instead of a MacBook air or Pro, but I still needed some portability. I have to say that I am pleased with the way things have worked out. Below are a few factoids:

* 2011 Mac Mini, 2.7GHz i7 12GB Ram, 480GB SSD
* e1649Fwu 16 inch USB DisplayLink monitor as primary monitor (only when on-the-go)
* No powered USB hub required - plugged into single USB 2.0 port
* $99 from Best Buy

Because the DisplayLink driver only works after you log in, my login is blind: turn on mini, wait a few seconds, hit esc+K+enter+password+enter (my login begins with the letter K). After a few seconds the monitor lights up and I have a desktop on the USB monitor.

Now, I did mod the monitor a little. After several weeks the USB connector got a little loose and the signal got jittery after about 10 min of use. I took apart the monitor, drilled a small slit on the side, reversed the USB connector to point INSIDE the monitor, plugged the USB cable in on the INSIDE of the monitor, snaked the cable through the hole, an finally snapped the trim back on. I now have a permanent USB cable coming out the side instead of an inconvenient USB connector on the back. This makes it possible to lay the monitor flat down on the bed and it also fixed the signal problem at the same time.

The monitor is SOLID despite being lightweight. It is NOT good for games and 3d graphics, but works great for reading, surfing, programming, writing, email, etc.

The monitor you are asking about likely uses the same DisplayLink drivers, so it should work too for Lion (but not Mountain Lion yet). It is smaller than the AOC, costs more, but probably does not need to be moded like the AOC.

Not having a power converter to lug around and just a thin USB cable for both power and signal really makes my mini almost as portable as a Macbook. I use the Apple bluetooth keyboard and a logitech unifying mouse. With the monitor sitting on top of the mini, the footprint is smaller than a Macbook Air (thicker though), but with a lot more power, memory, storage (SSD), and ports (4 USB, thunderbolt, HDMI, Firewire 800, network, headphone, mic, and MMC card slot).
_________________
Ken
Mac Mini 2.7GHz i7 12GB Ram 480GB SSD