Prodigal Magazine

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Mimo 710

I’ll be honest I bought this on a whim, but it’s not the first time I’ve thought “Wow, I wish I had a small 8″ monitor that was all USB powered”.  I actually attempted to build one from an automotive LCD screen, but trying to get 12 volts from 5 volt USB doesn’t work.

Ok, So first impressions

Um, small, very small, but that’s good, this is for mobile use.  It folds flat, perfect for a small computer bag and used in a coffee shop or on the road (not literally of course). My kids step on everything I have an I can say, this passes with flying colors.  The construction  of the Mimo 710 is excellent, very solid feeling.  Folding out took some investigation, I’m sure it tells how to do it in the manual, but that was already in the trash, once you get it once, it’s easy.

How I use this mini USB Monitor

My initial plan was to bring it with me to coffee shops, but I later realized, I don’t go too many these days.  So I keep it in my bag but pull it out when I need some more screen space for notes, todo lists, email, etc.  I work in the creative industry, so I’m usually creating from client notes, emails and whatnot, the Mimo 710 fills that role that role perfectly.

I’ve also thought it could be used as a second monitor for presenters view while doing a Power Point or Keynote presentation.

Technical Stuff

So here is the kicker, it all runs from a single USB cable, power, data, everything.  It does have a more limited color gamut , so subtle gradients did show banding, but come on, it’s USB, $149 and fits almost in a pocket.

I tested it only on OS X Leopard and now as of Sept 2, 2009 Snow Leopard drivers are available.  This is based off of the Display Link technology so if you can use any of those devices this will work for you.  Word on the street is it works with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 as well.

The driver notes say it will turn off 3D Acceleration, however I notice no ill effects, and Expose´ worked just fine.

Find all the gritty detail by visiting the product page.

Final Opinion

Like I said, for $149 I think this is a great deal, I ordered mine from the Mimo store, but word is it’s a bit cheaper on amazon. MIMO UM730 starting at 169.00