This Asus portable monitor is what I've been searching for

For years, I pursued a dream that proved elusive. Until now. I think I've finally found that special companion for remote work.

Many of you know I'm a huge fan of multi-monitor setups, going up to 4 monitors at one point. I do with 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 3 monitors these days, but that's a story for another day.

My old setup at a coworking office here (LinkedIn).

Portable productivity

Going multi-monitor is relatively straightforward at a permanent work desk. But what if you need to travel?

The typical recommendations are:

• Use an iPad as a monitor.
• Get a dual-screen laptop.
• Go with a portable monitor.

There are disadvantages to each option, from the cost of an iPad to the poorer battery life and compromises around the keyboard for dual-screen laptops.

And lugging a portable monitor along seems excessive for what is at most a 14 to 15 inches of screen real estate. But what if you could have a portable dual-screen monitor?

Asus ZenScreen Duo

The Asus ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD - 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰-𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 - is a dual-screen OLED portable monitor.

It ticks all the checkboxes for me.

• 14-inch single-screen; 20-inch unfolded.
• 2x 1920 by 1200 OLED screens.
• Built-in kickstand, 360° hinge.
• Just 1.07kg.

In terms of connectivity, you get 2x USB-C and a mini-HDMI port on the right, which also contains a clickable rocker switch, a selection button, and a power button.

My experience

I packed the Asus MQ149CD for my trip this week, slotting it into my laptop bag alongside a 14.2-inch laptop and Remarkable Pro. The bag got heavier, but not onerously so.

Here's what I liked about it:

• Single-port multi-monitor: Getting it to work was a plug-and-play affair with extend or mirror modes. The power output of your USB-C port matters if you crank brightness up - a USB-C power adapter is bundled.
• Integrated stand: The built-in stand and strategic rubber feets made it rock stable once set up. You can flip it to tent mode or set it in portrait orientation (like a book), too.
• OLED display: The screens themselves were bright and nice to my eyes - my photos show it at 60% brightness. Designer types will be glad to know it's 100% DCI-P3.

The MQ149CD works with Asus DisplayWidget Center for adjusting monitor settings from an app - I haven't tried it yet. Finally, a ¼-inch screw thread socket works with a camera tripod if so desired.

According to the press release, the ZenScreen MQ149CD will be available in Singapore from mid-March for SG$799.