Power Efficient Computer Monitor Upgrade?
Hopefully this separate thread will eliminate hijacking another. Many RV'ers including myself use laptops instead of desktop units. But the 17" laptops seem to gobble laptop battery power at an ast...
Forum Discussion
Mex,
I sounds like you don't want to get rid of your laptop.
The problem with is that it doesn't have an HDMI or (probably) VGA video output. This highly limits the video resolution you can get out of it to drive any monitor much larger than the one on already in your laptop - no matter what type or how expensive the monitor - with the possible exception of a monitor with built-in "upscaling" of incoming analog-sourced video images. This type of monitor if they even exist anymore, may be difficult (or $$$) to find. Any larger screen monitor without this type of upscaling will begin to show the limitations (jagged edges, hard to read type, etc..) of the good old fashioned low resolution composite analog video output from your laptop.
There are a couple of types of analog video output standards that can deliver high resolution, so can therefore be used with larger than laptop size monitors ... but I'm fairly certain that your laptop doesn't have either of these video output capabilities. Those are VGA analog video and component (NOT composite) analog video.
You may have a tough time finding an external monitor that your laptop can drive without image jaggies or sometimes hard to read type, that also uses low watts, and that you can afford. Unfortunately nowadays it's an HDMI world and if your video equipment doesn't support it, this world is sreaming for you buy new stuff. I know, because I have an ~$7K perfectly operating but dinosaur analog 16:9 big screen TV/monitor I'm about to have to give away or junk because it doesn't have HDMI inputs.
I could be wrong though as sometimes with video, good enough is plenty good enough. Keep us posted.
P.S. I don't know if this is part of the video problem for you, but I recently went through cataract surgery and can appreciate good video again. ;)
I sounds like you don't want to get rid of your laptop.
The problem with is that it doesn't have an HDMI or (probably) VGA video output. This highly limits the video resolution you can get out of it to drive any monitor much larger than the one on already in your laptop - no matter what type or how expensive the monitor - with the possible exception of a monitor with built-in "upscaling" of incoming analog-sourced video images. This type of monitor if they even exist anymore, may be difficult (or $$$) to find. Any larger screen monitor without this type of upscaling will begin to show the limitations (jagged edges, hard to read type, etc..) of the good old fashioned low resolution composite analog video output from your laptop.
There are a couple of types of analog video output standards that can deliver high resolution, so can therefore be used with larger than laptop size monitors ... but I'm fairly certain that your laptop doesn't have either of these video output capabilities. Those are VGA analog video and component (NOT composite) analog video.
You may have a tough time finding an external monitor that your laptop can drive without image jaggies or sometimes hard to read type, that also uses low watts, and that you can afford. Unfortunately nowadays it's an HDMI world and if your video equipment doesn't support it, this world is sreaming for you buy new stuff. I know, because I have an ~$7K perfectly operating but dinosaur analog 16:9 big screen TV/monitor I'm about to have to give away or junk because it doesn't have HDMI inputs.
I could be wrong though as sometimes with video, good enough is plenty good enough. Keep us posted.
P.S. I don't know if this is part of the video problem for you, but I recently went through cataract surgery and can appreciate good video again. ;)
