Why I’m considering a dual-screen USB Type-C portable monitor

At Computex 2024 last month, ASUS debuted a bunch of new monitors for creatives and gamers, but the one that caught my eye was a bit different. Though nowhere near the first to release a dual-screen USB Type-C travel monitor, I have to admit that I didn’t even think about something like this until I saw ASUS launch one.

What ASUS unveiled was the ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD, a laptop-style, 2-screen travel monitor that – even if you’ve never seen something like this – does exactly what you’d expect. With a laptop-like form factor and a kickstand, this new travel display from ASUS gives you two 14-inch displays in one for massive productivity on the go, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t highly intrigued.

Tons of other options for this setup out there

One of the things ASUS left out of their announcement was the price, and upon searching to see if I could find anything about that, I quickly realized there are tons of other options out there for the same exact dual-screen USB Type-C setup. And many have been out there for quite a while.

For this sort of thing, I’m never really keen on wading through the mess of options at Amazon, so I headed to the far more reliable Best Buy site, and one of the models that is rated highly on Amazon is also at Best Buy, so I dug in a bit deeper.

The MaxFree MW dual-screen monitor looks like a winner, and though the $379 price is a tad bit steep, I do think the productivity on offer by this setup is worth it. Whether at the desk or on the go, a device like this could give you the full productivity of a desktop setup in just minutes, and perhaps even take the place of a dedicated, bulky monitor for days when you are in the office too.

And that’s why I’m so interested. While I love my 27-inch QHD monitor, many of you know I also love a setup that is not just productive, but portable as well. Swapping out my non-portable display with a very-portable solution is something I think would be of great value to me, so to say that I’m truly considering this is an understatement.

Either way, I think I may at least give this monitor a go to see how it all works with a Chromebook. I’m sure many of you would love to know if ChromeOS would work with something like this (I’m quite certain it will), and that’s really worth the effort of testing one out, anyway. Stay tuned as I navigate this possible desktop change, and if you are thinking about upgrading to a more powerful, more portable solution as well, this could be a good device for you too.