Thanko recently unveiled the TL (Timeline) Portrait Display. At ￥11,200 (about $100), it’s a 7.9" 70 x 208mm screen that connects to a PC or laptop through HDMI and gets power through micro USB.
In November, Elsonic’s EK-MD088 appeared with a similar shape and purpose—shifting social media feeds to a cheap second screen. According to those reports, Elsonic’s screen should be going on sale right around now, just as a competitor appears. Thanko’s screen is 480 x 1280 pixels, slightly lower resolution than Elsonic’s 420 x 1920, but the Elsonic is a bit more expensive at 14,800円 ($130). Nothing seems to indicate the Elsonic can’t be used in horizontal orientation, but Thanko’s product page advertises this for displaying system metrics.
The only potentially significant downsides of the Thanko are that it doesn’t officially support Mac, and there’s no information on its display technology. It also doesn’t come with a stand, but a phone or tablet stand will probably work. The advantages of these odd-shaped screens are price and portability. They’re a bit cheaper than the cheapest new 1080p monitors on Newegg and PCPartPicker and can be easily carried along with a laptop.
