If he has a Trimetric (or plans to buy), he definitely could go without a built-in monitor in controller. With 240W system the TS45 is an overkill though. Trace Xantrex 35 would cost 30% less and allow expanding to ~500W.
My controller allows monitoring on laptop, but I don't feel like I need it. It's a nice way to kill some time and spend some money, with not much practical use. If you don't get enough AH, then you need to cut your consumption or add more panels. Your Trimetric will tell you this, blinking lights on controller will, even a simple VA meter will.