The VAR Guy Hands-On Review: GeChic OnLap Monitor 1301

If you’re looking for some extra space to expand your desktop real estate  on the go, GeChic’s OnLap may help, adding an additional 13 inches to the visual landscape. And after having spent a solid couple of weeks using the On-Lap 1301, I admit to having a love-hate relationship with this unique display. Let me break it down for you:

Overall, I really enjoyed the GeChic OnLap 1301. It has been a nifty companion and got me a few interesting looks at coffee shops. But it’s not perfect.

The Good Stuff

It’s a 13-inch 1366×768 screen with a vivid display, maybe a bit too vivid for some. The resolution is exactly the same as the resolution of my MacBook Air 11-inch, so the two monitors “fit” side by side virtually, and thus managing dual desktops was a symmetrical pleasure. Other than the mini-display-to-HDMI adapter I had to buy, the monitor worked flawlessly out of the box and OS X had no problems detecting it.

The screen has a series of settings to adjust brightness, contrast and a few other tweaks, but it’s mostly ready to go when you pull it out of the box. I also used the display for a few different things other than my laptop. Since the display requires power via USB and an HDMI connection, it also worked with a small form-factor LAN party PC I have and my Sony PS3. A mobile monitor powered by USB suddenly makes a lot more things “portable,” helped also by the unit’s light weight. A word of caution, however: Do not expect to use this long with your laptop on battery — it chewed mine up twice as fast as normal.

Needs Improvement

A big disappointment for me was the suction-cup bezel attachment designed to fit against the back of your laptop screen — it just would not fit onto my MacBook Air 11-inch. If the suction cups had been placed more toward the center, it may have been possible (but then perhaps not as sturdy). Take note: This unit will work best to augment ultrabooks 13-inches or larger. The OnLap did come with two green, rubberized “stands” to prop up the monitor if the suction cups didn’t work, and they’re a bit of a hassle to get in the right position, so don’t touch it once you do. Plus, the OnLap has a series of “buttons” on the front of the screen, but they’re actually just icons that correlate with flat buttons on the back of the screen, which could be confusing at first.

But the deal-breaker for me was the viewing angle: It’s simply bad. Unless the monitor is directly on center in front of you, you will see discoloration. At more extreme angles, you’ll get inverted colors. It reminded me of old-style laptop screens. The discoloration pretty much rendered the monitor unusable in “portrait” mode.

Lastly, and this may be nit-picking, but there is limited wire management, so there will be some wires dangling from your laptop — annoying at the least, dangerous at the most.

The Bottom Line

Currently selling for $199 (now in stock on NewEgg.com), this monitor is about $50 too expensive, especially with the poor quality of screen. However, if you’re the kind who works better in a two-monitor environment, I cannot stress enough the absolute connivence of this display. It feels like I have breathing room. A singular 13-inch 1366×768 display can get cramped fast. It’s also much more compact than some of GeChic’s competition, which boast larger screens, but offer the same resolution.

With all that said, I give the GeChic OnLap 1301 a solid 6.5 out of 10. GeChic has informed me it is currently working on a new version of the device, which it also plans to send to me for review, so I’m hoping for some improvements. If the suction cup and viewing angles are fixed, I could see this unit getting an easy 8 or 9 our of 10. Check back soon.