The requirements of a business monitor may not be the same as the monitor you used for your PC. If your day-to-day operations require a computer, this is a consideration that you should include when setting up your office or when purchasing equipment for your employees.
Is a Portable Monitor Right for You?
If you’re always on the go, is a portable monitor a better option than a laptop?
Portable monitors are not as popular, but they exist and can benefit entrepreneurs and businesses. It was designed for users to bring it anywhere, which is ideal for how fast-paced the world is today. Here are the pros and cons of a portable monitor:
PROS
- Use it as a normal monitor. You can use any portable monitor with any PC, or small board computer. The best thing about this is you don’t need to lug around your heavy CPU. Plus, portable monitors are designed as super lightweight monitors.
- Extend the screen on your laptop. If you plan to do a lot of presentations, a portable monitor could be an efficient way of bringing your work wherever you go. Most portable monitors can be attached via USB-C to your laptop.
- Use it as a TV. Let’s say your business involves the news, and you need to be able to access news as you go. With a portable monitor, you can attach the Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Firestick, and other similar devices.
- For videography or photography. If your camera or video cam has a video output, you can use the portable monitor as a bigger display to get things done more quickly. You just need the right connector (HDMI or other cables) to be able to see clearer photos or videos.
- Use the portable monitor with your smartphone. Some phones can be turned into a trackpad and paired with your portable monitor, letting you use the combo as a real PC.
The downside to portable monitors is that the technology is still new, quickly updating though, so expect more and more brands and models to launch soon, then make your unit outdated. Because of this, future-proofing can be an issue for you.
Is a Desktop Monitor Right for You?
While portable monitors are awesome and provide an effective display alternative to users whose main job requires a lot of travelling, some businesses simply cannot use portable monitors. Here are several reasons why:
In the world of creatives (photo editing, game development, graphic design, email marketing services, video production, etc.), choosing the monitor can make or break a project.
- If your business is in the creatives, you’ll need a monitor that can handle accurate colors that only a high-resolution monitor can provide. The maximum resolution on portable monitors is in the 1920×1080 pixel range, which isn’t competitive enough with the higher resolutions you can find in desktop monitors.
- Generally, graphic designers or other creatives whose work involves using the tiniest pixels need a monitor with the best image quality. Unfortunately, the color profile on portable monitors is not the best (the colors are less vibrant). For other non-creative work, this should be enough to do your tasks without noticing imperfections.
- A monitor with low resolution would also affect the display’s response time and color range. Expressed in milliseconds (ms), response time for monitors is the time it takes to shift from one color to another (for example, black to white, then back to black again).
Portable Monitor vs. Desktop Monitor vs. Laptops
Of course, there are also downsides to portable monitors and desktop monitors (and even the monitor of a laptop). Deciding which one would work for your business is similar to choosing a monitor for personal use. You have to pick based on your needs and requirements. For example:
- In real estate, a laptop and portable monitor will work in showcasing houses or accessing files quickly to show to potential clients.
- In the medical field, desktop monitors are useful in reading digital lab results. If your business has something to do with the lives of other people, you’d want the best monitor possible, which is only available for desktops. (Ambien)
- Video editing companies need high-quality monitors to produce clear videos and edit them appropriately. In most cases, portable monitors cannot accommodate the requirements of video editing or production.
- Engineers working on the site of a construction project would benefit from a portable monitor. Whether they’re scaling up a photo from their phones or pulling up spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations from their external hard drives,
Entrepreneurs, CEOs, freelancers, and everyone who follows flexible work schedules would benefit from using a combination of portable monitors and desktop monitors.
If you’re a boss deciding whether to provide portable monitors to your employees or not, always remember that if your decision results in improved productivity, that’s already a good investment.
