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Nanovision Mimo UM-710 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £84
inc VAT

Specifications

7in screen size, 800×480 resolution, DVI: no, VGA: no, HDMI:

http://www.scan.co.uk

Displays that connect to your PC or laptop via USB have been around for several years (using DisplayLink technology), but this little 7in screen from Korean company Nanovision caught our attention.

It has a widescreen resolution of 800×480, and requires only a single USB cable for power and data.

This means you can attach it to just about any computer, regardless of whether the graphics card has a spare monitor output or not. It’s intended for instant messaging (IM) conversations, webcam chats or use as a photo frame, but you can use it for just about any application. The only limitation is that it won’t work with any program that needs hardware acceleration, such as games and certain video playback applications.

The hardware is basic: the screen has only power and brightness controls. You can mount it horizontally or vertically, altering the orientation of the image via software. Once the drivers are installed, it’s simply a matter of enabling it in Windows’ Display Settings and ticking the ‘Extend the desktop on to this monitor’ box.

Despite the price, image quality isn’t great. Detail levels are acceptable, but colours appear muted. Fortunately, text is sharp, and we found ourselves mainly using the screen in portrait mode for instant messaging.

Though £84 isn’t expensive compared to other USB monitors, it’s hard to see the UM-710 as anything other than an unnecessary luxury. If you’re short on desk space, or don’t have a spare video output, this is an easy way to get some extra desktop pixels. But most of us would be far better off buying a proper second display for just a few pounds more.

Basic Specifications

Rating ***

Physical

Viewable size 7 in
Native resolution 800×480
Contrast ratio 400:1
Brightness 350cd/m²
Screen depth 28mm
Base (WxD) 165x95mmmm
Screen elevation 100mmmm

Features

Portrait mode no
Wall mount option no
Height adjustable yes
Internal speakers none
Detachable cables yes
USB hub none
Integrated power supply yes
Kensington lock lug no
Display extras none
VGA input no
DVI input no
S-video input no
Component input no
Composite input no
Audio inputs none

Environmental

Power consumption standby N/A
Power consumption on N/A

Buying Information

Price £84
Supplier http://www.scan.co.uk
Details www.nanovision.co.kr
Warranty one year RTB

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