Mobile Pixels Duex Max DS

What it is

The Duex Max DS is the 14.1-inch panel in the Duex DS range. Mobile Pixels specifies 1920 x 1080 resolution, 300 nits, dimensions of 12.6 x 8.9 inches at 0.25 to 0.6 inches thick, and a weight of 1.8 lbs. The important detail is what changes and what does not. The resolution is identical to the 13.3-inch Plus DS, so the Max does not give you more desktop area; it spreads the same 1920 x 1080 across a larger diagonal, which makes text and interface elements physically bigger and easier to read at arm's length. That is the actual benefit, and it is a comfort decision rather than a productivity one. The cost is 0.5 lbs of extra weight hanging off the laptop lid, on a panel whose folded footprint is almost the same as the smaller model. On a 15 or 16 inch laptop, the 14.1-inch panel also sits at a proportion that reads as one workspace rather than a screen with a smaller screen bolted to it.

Why HOS selected it

HOS lists the larger panel separately because the size mismatch on big laptops is the complaint people raise after buying, not before. Anyone on a 15 inch or larger machine, or anyone who finds 13-inch text tiring, should start here.

Key features

• 14.1-inch 1920 x 1080 LCD, 300 nits, 60 Hz (Mobile Pixels specification)
• 1.8 lbs, 12.6 x 8.9 inches, 0.25 to 0.6 inches thick
• Larger physical text at the same resolution as the 13.3-inch Plus DS
• Lid-mounted, slides out beside the main display
• USB-C or Mini HDMI connection, roughly 4.5 W consumption

Who it is for

People on 15 to 16 inch laptops, and anyone who wants larger, more legible text on the second panel and mostly works from a desk or a regular seat.

What it will not do

It gives you no extra pixels over the Duex Plus DS, only a larger physical picture, so do not buy it expecting more room for windows. Do not buy this model if you carry your laptop all day, if the machine is 13 or 14 inches, or if hinge strain on a light ultrabook worries you: the 0.5 lbs difference is felt every time the lid is opened. It is still a travel panel, not a replacement for a full desktop monitor on a stand.

Buying considerations

• Best proportioned on 15-inch and larger laptops; on a 13-inch machine it overhangs
• Accept 0.5 lbs more lid weight than the Duex Plus DS
• Resolution is identical to the Plus DS, so choose on legibility and laptop size
• Check current configuration and colour options at the merchant