SideTrak Swivel 12.5” Attachable Portable Monitor for Mac FHD IPS Dual Screen with Kickstand | Compatible with All MacBook Pro & MacBook Air Laptops | Powered by USB-C or Thunderbolt

It was expensive already, but as a student (poor), I purchased this with intent to maximize my productivity while studying (as my major is Computer Engineering) and not even 3 week after receiving it, the obviously cheap chord breaks. I hooked up my other usbc chord but it apparently doesn't work without the shipped chord.

There is a glut of portable displays right now, thanks to how inexpensive good IPS panels are. The SideTrak, however, stands out because of how cleanly it mounts to a laptop.The mounting process is simple and fast. Using the included template, simply mount a slim plate to the back of your laptop. The SideTrak then attaches with its built-in, magnetic bracket. Most folks will probably find it's easiest to simply live the SideTrak attached, since it pivots and folds down over the laptop lid. It's light and unobtrusive when stored, and the case feels like it should travel well.Overall I was impressed with the build quality, which goes beyond the sturdy hinge and lightweight but solid case. The screen itself is gorgeous for this price point. Colors are vivid, the FHD image is crisp and clear, and the brightness is excellent. It's a little small, but that is by design. It's perfect for leaving Discord or Zoom open, or a separate window for e-mails and web browsing. My only real complaint is that it's not a touch screen.Windows 10 recognized the monitor immediately, with no additional drivers necessary. I used the USB-C to USB-C connection, with no issues.In addition to mounting, the monitor can also rest on a desk, using the hinge as a stand, although, if that is your only usage scenario, I would go with a larger monitor. The trade-off of the small screen is only worth it if you want to attach the SideTrak to your laptop lid. If you do want to attach the SideTrak, it works absolutely perfectly in that role.

2 screens are better then one. This monitor is ez to use. Thake's you Mac Book to the next stage with 2 screens. Thank you for reading my review. I hope you find it helpful. OZ

Worked great until it just would not connect to my computer anymore. Waste of money

From start to finish this has been one of the best upgrades I've ever seen on a laptop. The productivity gains from having two displays are hard to overestimate. If you've ever tried to deliver a presentation over web-conference from a single screen you'll know exactly what I mean. Having a second screen on your laptop is a no-brainer if you have to do frequent presentations.SideTrack has done a fantastic job here and the design is extremely well thought-out.This was reviewed on an HP Envy X360 (15m-ed0023dx) with a 15.6" screen. Despite being heavily marketed at Mac users it works perfectly with Windows 10 users (and Windows 7 according to the instructions).One of the hallmarks of a good product is good packaging, and this does not disappoint. Everything is very securely arranged and arrived intact and undamaged. The instructions greet you when you first open the box and everything is easy to remove and get started.The instructions are well illustrated, concise and clear. You don't have to be a technology enthusiast to understand or follow them.SideTrack included everything you need to get up and running. Aside from installing the mounting plate on the lid of your laptop, everything is plug-and-play. There are no drivers or software to install. (Just the same the instructions walk you through how to change settings in your OS if you want to).The SideTrack can be placed either to the right or left of your laptop screen (though if you place it on the left the logo is upside-down). The SideTrack is able to tell which way is up and will automatically orient the screen correctly. The SideTrack is also designed so that it can stand on its own, with the added bonus that you can orient it vertically if you like.The mounting plate attaches with a couple of what look like 3M command strips - this is actually a great design as the extra mm or so of thickness means that it will still hold firmly even if your laptop lid is contoured. There's a template that explains very plainly how to place the mounting plate and it worked perfectly for me. A spare mounting plate is included, which was a simple but great idea. The mounting template is very clear and easy to use, but if you DO mess up, or just change your mind later on about where you want it, you can remove the mount and use the spare plate. Alternatively you could use the second plate to give you the option to mount the screen on either side of your laptop, or apply it to a different laptop so you can swap the SideTrack between laptops.Once mounted, the side track mount can slide back and forth horizontally to allow for a good range of articulation. Slide it out so you can tilt and swivel the monitor however you like, slide it back to keep the edge of the mount flush with your laptop when you put it away for storage. You can even flip the screen around and show something to someone across a desk or table (as I mentioned earlier, the screen orientation will automatically detect and flip). I can't imaging giving a presentation on a 12" screen, but I can picture myself showing a video to my kids to keep them busy while I work:)While the SideTrack is light, it obviously weighs something and that has some slight ramifications. For example I use my laptop on a stand that sits at about 30 degrees and the SideTrack changed the center of gravity such that I had to move my laptop two inches to the right on the stand to keep it balanced.The SideTrack is designed to get power and video from a USB-C thunderbolt port, but you can still use it even if your laptop doesn't have a thunderbolt port. (Not every USB-C port is a thunderbolt port) The manufacturer includes a USB-C to USB-A adapter so you can use the cable to get power and run a separate HDMI cable (also included) for video.The screen brightness is listed as 300 nits and that seems accurate to my eyes based on comparison with my laptop screen which is only 260 nits. The SideTrack gets a bit brighter than my laptop screen. Brightness is controlled with physical buttons on the edge of the SideTrack - which is a great design IMO. (I really hate fishing through menus to get to brightness controls).The picture quality is brilliant. It's a legitimate 1080p display which is more than enough resolution at that size. The display is sharp and colors are just as accurate as the screen on my laptop. I didn't experience any issues with motion blur or ghosting.It takes power to run a monitor so if you use this with your laptop on battery power you should expect that your battery is going to drain faster. The brighter the SideTrack screen is set the faster your battery will drain. That said, I was impressed at how small the impact to the battery actually was. Just my rough non-scientific estimate based on typical use my battery lasted about 2/3rds of the time it normally does.The SideTrack folds up nicely for storage - you just flip the screen around and fold it against the back of your laptop. The SideTrack has a "foot" that maintains a small gap so the SideTrack screen won't get scratched by your laptop lid and the pad at the bottom of the foot keeps the sidetrack from scratching your laptop lid. When folded for storage it adds about 3/4" to the thickness of your laptop. Whether this makes a difference to you kind of depends on the design of your laptop bag/backpack, but for my part I barely notice it.Conclusion:This is a fantastic upgrade for any relatively modern laptop. Its sturdy construction and thoughtful design make it simple to set up and a delight to use. As long as your laptop has a Thunderbolt-capable USB-C port or an HDMI port you're going to love this thing.

Worst design ever!!! Once you stick it, you will never be able to remove it without damaging your laptop!!! I regret buying it so much! I just ruined my MacBook

Sounded good, looked good. Screen is way to small. Cords get tangled everywhere. Battery life from laptop gets drained fast….Do not recommend

Great additive for the Laptop