Ever struggled to juggle apps around your MacBook Air’s small screen as you work? And have you ever taken a look at that screen and though how much better it would be if there was another LED panel hanging off the side like an errant dust-jacket flapping in the breeze? If your answer to these two questions is “yes” and you have around £120 ($190) to waste spend, then the GeChic On-Lap Dual Monitor 1301 could be just the thing for you.
The On-Lap doesn’t go on your lap: it hangs of the side of your laptop. The 13.3-inch screen is USB-powered and gets its video signal the same way (so no gaming). It can be used horizontally or vertically (there’s a kick stand) and weighs in at 865 grams (1.9 pounds), or 200 grams more than an iPad.
In fact, you can even use the screen with an iPad, iPhone or even your camera with the correct adapters (and a power source).
It all sounds pretty good, but I can’t help think the iPad could so the job just as well. Sure, it costs a lot more and isn’t nearly as big, but it’s enough to almost double the screen of an 11-inch Air, and it does it wirelessly. If you regularly need more space on your notebook screen, you should probably have bought one of those awful tea-tray 17-inch MacBook Pros, or just suck it up and buy a proper, big external display.
Still, there is probably a niche for this, and as these things go, the On-Lap is also pretty good looking. Available now. And while you’re about it, you really should check out the product page. It is the finest example of Engrish I have seen in a long time.
