Philips and Taiwanese display specialist MMD (MultiMedia Displays) have launched a monitor that is billed as a “docking display”. The new model allows direct connection of a range of peripherals so any laptop can connect to them through the LCD display unit using a single USB cable.
The Philips USB Docking Monitor 231P4UPES connects to a laptop through a USB 3.0 lead. It also has another USB 3.0 port and one version 2.0 port at the back to connect up to printers, external drives, a camera or a mouse.
As well as hooking up hardware devices, the USB link to the laptop also transmits video and networking signals, and the monitor can connect directly to the internet or intranet via an integral Ethernet port. Philips said this would benefit laptop users with devices that have limited connectivity for external devices, such as the MacBook Air. The use of USB connection also means that several users could share the same monitor at different times, regardless of which computer they are using.
Similarly, when a user’s laptop is upgraded, a new machine-specific docking station doesn’t have to be purchased, and the lack of an old docking station which would often be scrapped adds to the green argument.
The display has a 23-inch TFT LCD screen with HD capabilities and features to help reduce energy consumption. Its PowerSensor technology automatically dims the display the moment the user moves away from the monitor. Philips claimed this feature alone could deliver energy savings of up to 80 percent, while the zero-watt power switch ensures no energy is used when the display is off.
The monitor, which sits atop a 13cm-high adjustable stand, has a microphone-in sockets and speaker-out ports, as well as built-in speakers.
“Today’s professionals are people who can be productive anywhere. Wherever they go, their notebook goes too,” said Thomas Schade, MMD vice president for Europe, “and the prospect of dealing with a mess of cabling every time they plug in at the office is less than appealing. The new display enables users to hook up right away – with one-step access to an entire landscape of IT peripherals – and be instantly more productive.”
The monitor will retail in stores for £252 including VAT.
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