Lenovo intros portable 14-inch ThinkVision M14 USB-C monitor

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited February 2019
Lenovo this week revealed the ThinkVision M14, a portable 14-inch monitor that should connect to Macs and iPad Pros through USB-C.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14


The peripheral uses an IPS panel with 300 nit brightness, and supports resolutions up to 1080p. Its main features however are its weight -- only 1.3 pounds -- and its size, just 4.6 millimeters thick.

To achieve this, the M14 typically draws on power from an attached device, which could potentially rapidly drain batteries. Lenovo is however offering an optional AC adapter so owners can charge a laptop simultaneously.

Other perks include two USB-C ports on either side, and a built-in stand with adjustable height.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14


Lenovo is planning to ship the M14 in May at a cost of $249.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    So, why attach a 14" monitor to a 14" (give or take an inch) laptop?
    Yeh, I know there are uses for 2 monitors.  But that seems to be limited.

    Lenovo doesn't make too many mistakes.   So, what am I missing here?
  • Reply 2 of 18
    mazda 3smazda 3s Posts: 1,613member
    So, why attach a 14" monitor to a 14" (give or take an inch) laptop?
    Yeh, I know there are uses for 2 monitors.  But that seems to be limited.

    Lenovo doesn't make too many mistakes.   So, what am I missing here?
    You already said it... to have two monitors -- more screen real estate. I have a 15-inch MBP, but I primarily used it hooked up to an LG 27-inch 4K monitor, so that I can have my Safari browser and Microsoft Word (or any other number of apps) running in portrait mode side by side. I feel so confined when I'm working on "just" my laptop display. 

    If when on the road, I could pull out a second portable monitor to hook up to my MBP, that would be awesome. I'd love the increased productivity. And Lenovo is forever running deals, so I can see this being below $200 not long after launch.
    chiawatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 18
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    mazda 3s said:
    So, why attach a 14" monitor to a 14" (give or take an inch) laptop?
    Yeh, I know there are uses for 2 monitors.  But that seems to be limited.

    Lenovo doesn't make too many mistakes.   So, what am I missing here?
    You already said it... to have two monitors -- more screen real estate. I have a 15-inch MBP, but I primarily used it hooked up to an LG 27-inch 4K monitor, so that I can have my Safari browser and Microsoft Word (or any other number of apps) running in portrait mode side by side. I feel so confined when I'm working on "just" my laptop display. 

    If when on the road, I could pull out a second portable monitor to hook up to my MBP, that would be awesome. I'd love the increased productivity. And Lenovo is forever running deals, so I can see this being below $200 not long after launch.
    And you can have a client, for instance, sitting across from you (instead of next to you) in a remote office setting seeing the same data or images as you describe what you're talking about.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 18
    More screen estate... with 14 inch monitors and hard to read text. Right. So let me ask you are going to carry four mobile screens to make it full size large monitor? Maybe Samsung is really onto something with that foldable monitor.
  • Reply 5 of 18
    Could be useful with a Mac mini if you just need something to see what it is doing on the go.
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 6 of 18
    so this is the first real USB-C Hub - four ports. hubs are not docks. USB hubs are multiple port hubs. 
  • Reply 7 of 18
    1080p? I would have thought 2K would be the low-end for something like this in 2019.
  • Reply 8 of 18
    Almost the exact size and weight of a 12.9" iPad Pro with a vastly better screen and substantial battery pack. ;)
    But of course, if you don't already own one, this is cheaper.
    80s_Apple_Guy
  • Reply 9 of 18
    jdiamond said:
    Almost the exact size and weight of a 12.9" iPad Pro with a vastly better screen and substantial battery pack. ;)
    But of course, if you don't already own one, this is cheaper.
    If all you want is extra screen real estate, an iPad Pro is overkill.  An iPad Pro is basically a 2nd computer, not an additional monitor.  Right tool for the right price for the right job.
  • Reply 10 of 18
    mazda 3smazda 3s Posts: 1,613member
    More screen estate... with 14 inch monitors and hard to read text. Right. So let me ask you are going to carry four mobile screens to make it full size large monitor? Maybe Samsung is really onto something with that foldable monitor.
    What are you babbling on about?
    chiafastasleepStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 18
    Couldn't you use an iPad for that task for about the same cost (if it had USB C)?
  • Reply 12 of 18
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    Couldn't you use an iPad for that task for about the same cost (if it had USB C)?
    If you were going to use an add-on like Luna display, sure. But, the latency and response time with an actual monitor is better.

    edited February 2019 chia
  • Reply 13 of 18
    payecopayeco Posts: 581member
    What is the power consumption like? This would be perfect for me to be able to go work in the park for a bit on a nice day. I need three monitors to do my job, but I would get by with two if the power consumption isn’t too bad.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 18
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    payeco said:
    What is the power consumption like? This would be perfect for me to be able to go work in the park for a bit on a nice day. I need three monitors to do my job, but I would get by with two if the power consumption isn’t too bad.
    Don't know yet for sure, but probably 18W.
    chia
  • Reply 15 of 18
    Could be useful with a Mac mini if you just need something to see what it is doing on the go.
    I was thinking along the same lines for email and file access, but with a Mac Pro (in my carry-on) when my large display is overkill (in a shipping case in the cargo hold). This consideration has me hoping for something smaller than the cheese grater design for the new Mac Pro.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 18
    anomeanome Posts: 1,533member
    Couldn't you use an iPad for that task for about the same cost (if it had USB C)?
    If you were going to use an add-on like Luna display, sure. But, the latency and response time with an actual monitor is better.

    Another issue I've run into is that Citrix Receiver doesn't play nice with things like Duet or even some USB dongles. (My work has one to screen share from our laptops to our Video Conferencing suites but it will only recognise mirrored screens, won't extend the screen on them.) So, if I want to use my MBP to access the work network while travelling, I can either try to do everything on one screen, which is painful, or buy a portable LCD monitor to give me the extra screen real estate I need.

    That said, I haven't had much need to do either of those things so far. For what I do use a second screen for, mostly running VMs so I can more easily switch between the VM and host OS, my iPad has been fine. With the hub, though, this looks promising, although a bit more expensive than the AOC 15 inch version (which doesn't have a hub in it).

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 18
    payeco said:
    What is the power consumption like? This would be perfect for me to be able to go work in the park for a bit on a nice day. I need three monitors to do my job, but I would get by with two if the power consumption isn’t too bad.
    Hmm, you need three monitors, you say?

    https://www.theonion.com/fuck-everything-were-doing-five-blades-1819584036
    watto_cobra
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