Planning to travel for work next year? Having a portable display is a must. Larger monitors are almost essential for the majority of work we do at our desks. Most offices and hot desks have a monitor you can plug in your laptop and work away.
But what about when you travel? If you’re on the go and looking for a display, look no further than the espresso Pro display. Designed by Aussies, it’s one of the thinnest screens on the market.
Out of the box
The espresso Pro comes with most items to get you started. The box includes a USB-C to USB-C cable, espresso Stand Pro, and microfibre cleaning cloth. Espresso did a great job designing the unboxing experience, and you’ll feel satisfied pulling the cardboard tab to reveal your display inside.
A few years ago we reviewed the espresso Display, which came in both 13″ and 15″ versions. The espresso Pro builds on the best features present in the original display, now called espresso Touch. Both models are touch screen and the espresso Pro now has a sleeker design. The team have done away with extra metal underneath the screen, making it look even slimmer.
The new espresso Pro boasts a 17″ screen, whilst maintaining almost the same physical dimensions as the 15″ espresso Touch.
Accessories
Like all good computer gadgets, you can choose from a range of accessories to boost your setup.
espresso Stand Pro and Stand
You’ll want to choose a mount or case of some kind in order to rest your espresso Pro. There are several options here. Firstly, you could look at the espresso Stand or Stand Pro. These are magnetic stands that fold and compact and are perfect for travelling.
If you’re planning to take your monitor on the go, then this is the accessory for you. The espresso Stand Pro is larger and has a bigger magnet. It’s probably the way to go if you purchased the 17″ Pro. The larger display could use the bigger magnet and the portability of the stand isn’t compromised.
The Stand Pro also has a little spot to rest a battery pack if you’re planning on taking extra power to charge your laptop.
Each stand can be adjusted to the correct height so you’ll be able to place your display where it suits. The espresso Stand is $79 AUD, and if you want the extra strong magnet and slightly further range, you’ll spend an extra $50 AUD upgrading to the espresso Stand Pro.
Or if you really want extra power, and make your display look stylish, as well as increasing the height of where your display sits, grab the espresso Charge for $249 AUD. It’ll increase your battery life by up to three hours with its USB-C 3.1 Gen input/output and huge 32,000 mAh capacity. The power pack is magnetic, so it snaps to the bottom of your espresso Stand Pro. If you’re planning to fly with this pack, call the airline to download check their requirements for travelling with batteries.
espresso Mount
The magnetic espresso Mount is something you might want if you’re planning to have your display at home and you want to keep your desk clutter free. The Mount screws onto a monitor arm and acts as a magnetic plate for attaching your display.
You’ll want to be careful when mounting this to a monitor arm. There’s no break point for the screws, so if you keep turning, you’ll end up screwing into the metal mount and pushing the plates apart.
I have both the espresso Mount and espresso Stand Pro. This means I can have my espresso Pro as my at-home secondary monitor, and unsnap it and take it on the road with the Stand Pro. Remember to be careful with both the Mount and Stands. The magnets are very strong, and I may have caught my fingers more than once trying to snap the display onto one of these accessories. The espresso Mount is $79 AUD, and you’ll need to purchase a monitor arm to attach it to.
Additional items
Two other accessories you might consider are a case to protect your display, and the espresso Pen for touch. Those who love annotating, writing, or drawing, will want to opt for the touch pen. It’s $119 and charges via USB-C cable. The box comes with a replacement pen tip and is compatible with all espresso display models.
The pen is really only something I’d recommend for the creatives and artists among us, or if you really like writing notes alongside your text and images.
If you’re planning to travel with your display, then the case is almost a must. It will protect your screen and also acts as a stand, so it’s not necessary to purchase an additional stand, unless you want something a little more robust and the ability to change the height at which your screen sits.
The espresso Case 17 will set you back $89 AUD, which is affordable when you’re already splashing out on a fancy screen. You can’t have your screen getting all scratched and dinged on a plane now can you?
Connections and display
Unlike the espresso Touch, the espresso Pro now comes with a 4K display instead of full HD. There are built in speakers, same as the espresso Touch, so you can still experience audio when others whilst on the go.
The display is simply gorgeous. At 4K resolution, you’ll see the most crisp and clear images, and you probably won’t even be able to see the pixels.
There’s two USB-C ports, both with included power passthrough. To connect your display, use one USB port to power the display, and another to connect to your device. If you have USB-C ports, then this is a straightforward process. If you only have display ports, then you’ll need a display or HDMI to USB-C adapter.
These are easy enough to find at most computer or office stores. It’s worth noting that both USB-C ports are on one side of the screen. This helps keep the display sleek and minimalist, however it can be slightly annoying if you are trying to have your display on a particular side of your computer and the cable doesn’t reach. Make sure you get a decent sized cable if you want your screen on the right side of your main display.
If you’re like me, and using the second display as a semi-permanent feature, the best way to connect your device with HDMI cable with built in USB plug. You can purchase one of these from espresso for $65 AUD.
Connect the USB-C to your espresso Pro, the USB to a free port on your computer, and the HDMI to either your motherboard or graphics card. This will give you power through as well as display connection so you won’t need to have extra power packs.
This kind of setup only works if you have a USB-A slot to spare, and you don’t mind splashing out on a little bit of cash.
Plug and play
The espresso Pro is designed to be plug-and-play, no downloads or software required. Connect your display to the desired machine, and it should automatically appear. Next, you might like to setup your displays in the correct orientation, either extended or mirrored. Most people will opt for extended, since you’ll want to increase your screen real estate to enhance productivity.
If you’re planning on using the touch feature, either via finger touch or an the additional espresso Pen, you’ll want to check to ensure the touch works as desired. For example, when I used touch on the screen, the touch inputs were showing up on my primary display.
This is okay if you’re wanting to use your screen like a writing tablet or graphics tablet. The majority of users would be looking to use this display as a secondary screen, so you’ll most likely want the finger touch display to show on the screen you’re touching. You can setup this feature by correctly calibrating touch inputs.
Windows users can configure the touch inputs by following these steps:
- Navigate to the Control Panel in Windows
- Select “Hardware and Sound”
- Under “Tablet PC Settings”, select “calibrate the screen for pen or touch input”
- In the new Window displayed, under “Display options” select the espresso Pro display. This should be something like “eD17P(2023)”
- Click “Calibrate”
- In the new Window displayed, select “Touch input”
- Follow the on screen prompts to correctly calibrate the screen
- Check to see if the screen correctly works when you touch your finger on your espresso Pro
- If you purchased the espresso Pen, repeat steps 6-8, this time selecting “Pen input” to calibrate the screen for the pen.
Now your espresso Pro should be accurately detecting touch for both your finger and pen if you have one. If your display still isn’t responding to touch, check to see if the display is properly connected, and update both display and touch drivers. To further advance your espresso experience, download the espresso Flow software for enhanced capabilities.
This includes calibration settings for macOS, information about laptop power, and the ability to arrange displays, windows, and workspaces. You’ll need to create an account or login to use the espresso Flow software.
espresso Pro
Being one of the thinnest, lightest, and highest quality displays on the market isn’t going to come at the cheapest cost. The espresso Pro is $1250 AUD. If you can’t afford something that pricey, you don’t want a large 17″ screen, and you’re happy with 1080p display, then choose the espresso Touch.
It still has loads of amazing features, and is only $749 AUD for espresso Touch 15″ and $669 AUD for 13″.
Remember, the espresso Pro 17″ is almost the same size physical size as the espresso Touch 15″, so you might want to save up some dollars before making the purchase, or maybe ask a special Santa in your life for an epic Christmas present.
