Send a Tip
RSS Feed
Follow us on Twitter
Yet another quiet launch from Lenovo, there is a new accessory called the Lenovo USB to DVI monitor adapter. Pretty straight forward, eh?
Just as it sounds, this device allows you to connect a DVI monitor to your computer through a USB connection. You can even use up to six of them per computer, or only three if you have a ThinkPad with switchable graphics. To avoid my usual diatribe, here’s a list of the device’s feature as we know it:
- Maximum resolution: 1920×1200 (WUXGA), including 1080p of course
- Native DVI-I connection or available adapter for VGA monitors
- All monitors can be configured independently with unique resolutions & screen orientation
- Displays can be rotated 90, 180, & 270 degrees
- 8 to 32-bit color depth supported at all resolutions
- Powered via USB, no AC adapter
- No reboot needed
- Works along with system display ports and graphics cards
Wow. This is slick. My ThinkPad X61 has a single VGA output. Two of these puppies would let me hook-up dual WUXGA LCD’s and even have a VGA left-over if I wanted a small LCD for incidental stuff.
I’m still more excited about a T400s or next-gen X210 with dual-HDMI/DisplayPort on the dock, but this is still very cool. It makes sense for Lenovo’s corporate customers, as it allows a high-margin one-off purchase to satisfy individual users without replacing whole systems or buying expensive docks.
Speaking of expensive, the Lenovo USB to DVI monitor adapter runs $129 and ships within 11 business days. You can find it at Lenovo’s website here, but unfortunately there don’t appear to be any coupon codes for accessories at the time of publishing. Keep an eye over at LogicBuy for any new deals.
Hit the jump for a list of compatible systems and known limitations. Don’t worry, it’s compatible with -61 model ThinkPads and newer, as well as a number of ThinkCentre’s.
| Compatibility |
|---|
|
Systems
|
Machine-Type Models
|
|---|---|
| ThinkCentre A58 |
All
|
| ThnkCentre A62 |
All
|
| ThinkCentre M55, M55p |
All
|
| ThinkCentre M57, M57p, M57e |
All
|
| ThinkCentre M58, M58p, M58e |
All
|
| ThinkPad R61, R61e, R61i |
All
|
| ThinkPad R400 |
All
|
| ThinkPad R500 |
All
|
| ThinkPad T61 |
All
|
| ThinkPad T400, T400s |
All
|
| ThinkPad T500 |
All
|
| ThinkPad W500 |
All
|
| ThinkPad W700 |
All
|
| ThinkPad X61, X61s, X61 Tablet |
All
|
| ThinkPad X200, X200s, X200 Tablet |
All
|
| ThinkPad X300, X301 |
All
|
| Options – Docks, Port Replicators | |
| ThinkPad USB Port Replicator with Digital Video * | |
| Lenovo Enhanced USB Port Replicator | |
| ThinkPad Advanced Dock | |
| ThinkPad Advanced Mini Dock | |
| ThinkPad Essential Port Replicator | |
| ThinkPad Mini Dock Series 3 | |
| ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 | |
| ThinkPad Port Replicator Series 3 | |
| ThinkPad X200 Ultrabase | |
| ThinkPad X6 Ultrabase | |
| ThinkPad W700 Mini Dock | |
Note: ThinkPad switchable graphic systems does not support simoultaneous attachment of the Lenovo USB-to-DVI Monitor Adapter and the ThinkPad USB Port Replicator with Digital Video (45K1610)
| Limitations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
Lenovo offers 
Coupon! Lenovo ThinkPad T510 15.6-inch Core i5 Laptop starts $1,344 - $345 off - 
Just released Lenovo ThinkPad W510 15.6-inch LED-backlit Core i7 Mobile Workstation starts at $2,049 - $460 off - 
Loading ...
This would be a lot more interesting if it support dual link dvi. Why would anyone want multiple 1920×1200 monitors? My officemate has a 2560×1600 monitor on his Powerbook and I just drool over it since my video card won’t support it. A 4-megapixel monitor is way nicer than two 2-megapixel monitors.
Well here’s the thing – LCD’s greater than 1920×1200 simply aren’t in mainstream. Going beyond that res adds quite a bit of cost to the LCD and WUXGA/WSXGA+ are simply where the majority of buyers are. Of course as you go up in resolution, you need more bandwidth for video. This isn’t an issue over a digital connection like HDMI or DisplayPort, but is a big issue over any other mediums like USB or whatever else might transmit video. That’s part of why it’s taken so long to see external devices like this that support video at any decent resolution – case in point, the old vs new USB Port Replicators from Lenovo.
But using two (let alone six) external WUXGA monitors is not mainstream either! Neither are dual screen 17″ laptops with quad core cpu’s, but there’s the W700! A 30″ 2560×1600 monitor is a little over $1K, which is about what a midrange laptop costs (say a decked out T500). It is just a big drag that it’s not easier to use these monitors.
I don’t see the point of the USB video stuff for WUXGA. I’m using a WUXGA monitor right now, on a standard analog VGA-style port, and it works fine, no obvious blur or anything like that. USB is not even fast enough for WUXGA though, if you want to watch movies or anything like that.
I don’t know what the story is with HDMI except that it has DRM. Can it support resolutions higher than 1920×1080 (HD video)?
There is a never-ending appetite for higher resolution, bigger screens, just like there is for memory, cpu speed, disk capacity, etc. Everyone has their limits of what they’re willing to pay, but deep down, at least when it comes to computers, we all want about the same things. These large monitors would not be considered so non-mainstream if in fact they were supported more readily by non-specialized computers. So it is a vicious circle.
[...] [via Thinkpads] [...]
[...] an impact on your CPU performance, and that impact only gets bigger as you add more adapters. [via [...]
[...] Quelle Bookmark bei: [...]
Will it support windows 7 ????
No official word yet, but you can expect yes.
Hey, what’s going on with this adapter? I can’t find it on Lenovo’s website at all. Any news about Windows 7?
I don’t see it on Lenovo’s site either, but it is on plenty of others. Link No new information on Windows 7.