Today’s laptops typically have wide-gamut displays with wonderfully high resolution, but sometimes a larger or extended display is in order. The recently released RICOH Portable Monitor 150BW external display is a solid example of how easy it is to expand your screen footprint while still enjoying impressive quality.
With the advent of USB Type-C, a single cable can easily carry enough current to power an external display, as well as the audio and video signals. In the past, many external displays were more of a hassle as they required an external power supply - usually a power brick of some kind - and either a USB cable for video, or DisplayPort cable. Fortunately, that’s not so anymore! A single thin lightweight cable is all that’s needed, making these displays very portable. They are also an ideal mate for a laptop with its limited screen real estate. For many, it will be the ideal way to watch movies from your phone.
The RICOH Portable Monitor 150BW is a great way to grow your display space. At 15.6 inches, weiging barely over a pound (1.23 lbs.), and less than half an inch thick (.19”), it’s an affordable entry into an expanded desktop. It has a beautiful touch-sensitive OLED screen and an extra USB-Type C port, with which I was conveniently able to charge my cell phone on a long Amtrak journey. It’s truly a superb traveling companion. The wide color gamut, even illumination, made working in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic on my Apple M1 MacBook Pro 14-inch a joy. It lit up instantly upon connection, required no additional software, was easily controllable through its onscreen menus, and whether being used for color critical work, or binge-watching Nordic crime thrillers (thanks, MHz, for filling my dreams with snowmobiles and bodies in the middle of a sweltering summer train trip to Boston!), it performed perfectly. The design of the RICOH Portable Monitor 150BW is simple. There are no bells and whistles; it’s flat and the integrated stand folds up into the unit, as do the cables. It’s impressively simple to use, nothing to think about, just plug it in and go. It comes in stylish matte black, with a gunmetal gray stand, so blends into any environment.
When I met with Heath Meyer, who represented both RICOH and Fujitsu via PFU America, I recounted that one of my earliest reviews for Mac Edition Radio and PC Talk back in 2006 was for a Fujitsu ScanSnap sheet-fed scanner. (Spoiler alert - I’ll be reviewing one of their current versions in the future). I was very impressed when it actually worked perfectly out of the box. Within minutes of opening that box, it was up and running, and the included Adobe PDF software meant that it was outputting scans almost instantly. It was the first product that actually lived up to the fabled “plug and play” advertising, which almost never delivered. I still think that you can’t find a better, more reliable sheet-fed scanner than one from Fujitsu.
So, when I plugged in the RICOH Portable Monitor 150BW, it was the same experience – it just worked. It ships with a handy vinyl case, easy to slip into your backpack or rolling case. I’d love a stiff insert to better protect the screen, and maybe some longer USB cables, but was happy to find that cables were included at all, since many companies don’t seem to provide cables these days. It even has two built-in speakers (2 x 1.5 watts) that would be very functional in an office environment, although we suspect that most users might prefer to use headphones for privacy and full bass response. As you can see from the product images, it can be used vertically as well as horizontally, good news to the writers out there who desire a full page display.
We think that most folks will purchase this monitor primarily to expand their desktop, but you would be remiss to not take advantage of its tablet capabilities. The optional RICOH Stylus Pen allows the 150 and 150BW to be used more creatively, and the fast response and lack of trailing or ghosting make it a great cinema display.
It’s certified for Eye Care, and according to RICOH, this means that “harmful blue light is reduced by 62% compared to conventional displays.” We saw but didn’t test its companion model the RICOH Portable Monitor 150 which forgoes Bluetooth, rechargeable battery, and portable features, might actually be the more popular version due to it's lower cost while maintaing the same excellent image quality.
Yes, we found ourselves using it more conventionally, with the USB Type-C cable similar to the normal and lower priced 150. The RICOH Portable Monitor 150BW, is feature packed, with wireless connectivity, a built-in rechargeable battery, and the ability to screencast. Both models are solid products that are the perfect solution for many road warriors. If you think you can use the wireless option, especially if you want to locate the display a bit further away, and not need to carry a long cable, then the 150BW is your model. Specs wise, they are the same in terms of the display, so there isn't a loss of quality.
The build quality is first-rate - no gaps, blemishes, just tight tolerances. At 1080P, it’s not a 4K display, but to be fair, we had no need for it to be. Even when streaming high-res movies, the resolution at a viewing distance of 10 inches was perfect, and when I compared it to my higher-resolution Apple display, I actually preferred the RICOH’s OLED display for its richer imaging and deeper blacks. According to tests, it can display 100% sRGB, 100% of Adobe RGB, which is pretty astounding, considering how few displays, can manage that feat. While it’s rated for over 300 cd/m2, because we are primarily interested in editing photographs, our reference displays from NEC are actually calibrated to run at 120 cd/m2, so rarely do we ever crank a display that bright. For office use in a bright environment, there are times that extra luminosity is handy, but not for serious image editing.
Have kids or elders in your household? Because of the 150BW's abillity to work wirelessly, it might be the perfect way to stream a movie, a larger image for Zoom meetings, Facetime, Google Meet, and more. Squinting at a phone doesn't work for everyone.
In short, we admire the RICOH Portable Monitor 150BW. It’s simple to use, has a wonderful OLED panel, and doesn’t have any unnecessary gear, buttons, or accessories. Its fit and finish are first rate and precise, and there wasn’t a single time that we felt it was lacking. It’s just one of those under-the-radar sublime products that we love to use. Highly recommended for the desktop-denied user looking for love with an expanded display!
Harris Fogel and Nancy Burlan, posted 7/30/2024
For more information on the RICOH Portable Monitor 150 visit: https://www.pfu-us.ricoh.com/portable-monitors
