Nanovision's MIMO 7-inch displays are strangely cute, sort of useful

They're not much more useful or cost efficient than a second or third regular-sized display, but Korean company Nanovision's soon-to-be-released 7-inch mini-LCDs -- model-named MIMO -- are novel, and probably a bit more convenient to hook up thanks to a USB interface. Two models will hit the streets of Korea in just a couple of days, and they both work in either landscape or portrait mode at 800 x 480. The UM-750 (?183,000 or $152), has a webcam, touchscreen, and TV tuner, but its feature-challenged brother the UM-710 (?98,000 or $81) doesn't. Unfortunately, they're only planned for Korea at the moment, so everyone else will have to consider a smaller but considerably less adorable alternative.

[Via Technabob; Thanks, Tom M]

[ExcavatE Posted Oct 17th 2008 6:24AM]

Now I REALLY wish these go on sale in the U.S. !!! The alternative (in the link) seems sooooo lackluster compared to this !

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 6:35AM]

Nice Post. Thanks for sharing this information with us.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 6:47AM]

OOoooOOo small AND shiny!!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 6:49AM]

NICE, the cheaper one would be perfect with my eeepc

[neeko18 Posted Oct 17th 2008 7:04AM]

Now make it wireless and u have a HTPC users heart forever. i would love to have one of these on my lap while im infront of my TV controlling my computer or any other device...

Cmon give it wifi and a 3hr battery and ill import the damn thing.

[pballinuyasha Posted Oct 17th 2008 7:36AM]

You have a great idea. I've been thinking more about making my old computer into a media player when I get a new tv and sound system. Only problem is how do you make it simple to listen to music, hook something like this up to it.

I also hope they get any good version of this in the US.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 8:09AM]

Have you ever think about penis cancer? Me I think about that all the time...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 9:39AM]

Not if you're a chick...

[mrotier Posted Oct 17th 2008 12:22PM]

common guys lets be serious for a moment...

...there arent any chicks here

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 18th 2008 10:47AM]

Would you blame them for staying away?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 7:28AM]

If I order this from Korea and have it sent to the states will there be any problems with running it?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 7:30AM]

Best innovation to mankind since the invention of the wheel.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 7:42AM]

I don't really understand the point... Why have an additional small screen next to your normal screen...? It's kinda cool, I mean, I AM a gadget geek, and I guess I can see how it would be pretty cool for surfing the web if it wasn't attached with a USB cord.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 7:52AM]

A place to park tool palettes... playing videos in the background without cluttering your "work" area... the touchscreen version would be a great media remote... IM clients... use some imagination, man.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 9:27AM]

Maybe have something like a system monitor there, or a music player and changue songs using the touchscreen, i can think of tons of uses for these.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 8:04AM]

Do I hear someone shout Car-PC?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 11:00AM]

Yeah thats exactly what I was thinking. I have been looking for a cheap small touchscreen for my car.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 8:52AM]

If moderately priced I'll take two. 800x480 is a very useful resolution in that size (OQO - Nokia N series). I have plenty of small data that I'd love to keep an eye on the side, rather than in the background or sidebar taking up valuable real estate.

The only worry I have is burn-in from the continuous displaying of the same widgets and apps in the same location.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 8:58AM]

Are you serious about that? I mean, could this really happen? Sorry if this actually is like "Duh", but I'm a bit irritated right now... :/

[thethirdmoose Posted Oct 17th 2008 10:02AM]

LCDs don't have burn in...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 8:48PM]

I dunno, It's my understanding that flatscreens don't get screen burn...it it could mean the return of the SCREENSAVER though! Or just use software to flash up some useful info (onna black screen) every half hour.
: D

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 8:06AM]

This is absolutely perfect for IRC...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 8:38AM]

I want. This is a crazy cool gadget

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 9:02AM]

I don't get why the title says "sort of useful". I alone can think of a hundred uses for at least one or two of these connected to my main computer.

[ZSX Posted Oct 17th 2008 9:09AM]

This reminds me: if you have an old Pocket PC lying around you can actually use its screen as an extra monitor using Innobec SideWindow.

A review here:
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/83933/0/1/4

I used to run the program on my old iPAQ as an external display for weather and mp3 player widgets. If I recall some guy used it on an old iPAQ as a "sideshow" device for his laptop.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 9:43AM]

Wireless usb (no I can't remember the acronym) and one makes an amazing remote while the other make a finally at last useful photo frame... and all that for less money.
Could also make a nice video phone (the version with the webcam) too for skype...

[bioadam Posted Oct 17th 2008 10:30AM]

I want to mount this on my stationary bike. Strapping a whole 15" notebook on it is just unwieldy. Let's get the $80 MIMO to the States!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 11:08AM]

I wish the PSP could be used like this. I've got 2 of those mofo's.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 12:03PM]

Try this:
http://pspupdates.qj.net/PSPdisp-v0-1-use-your-PSP-as-an-extra-PC-monitor/pg/49/aid/124669

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 12:21PM]

Oh My God. I want one of those so badly. I'm always thinking about getting a second monitor for itunes while I play games (using a 24 inch right now) but I don't want to take up all that space on my desk... and those are even TOUCHSCREEN. wow. I'm buying one from Korea don't care how much it'll cost me.

Wish there were more products like this I think they would have a huge market. Two monitors is too much space but a second window for a small document or music player or webpage etc, would be so useful.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 11:13AM]

I can think of any number of uses for this - watching TV programs while working, putting chat or organisational apps on it, and so forth. Justifiable for the price. My only concern is that it to be as flexible as possible in terms of physical set up. I don't have space to spare on my desk, so I'd prefer it if I could, for instance, attach to the side of my main monitor.

The read is broken, btw..

[nx2000 Posted Oct 17th 2008 2:54PM]

I'll take two.

[Xenoterranos Posted Oct 17th 2008 4:35PM]

I had a friend once that used a smallish 10 or 13 inch touchscreen kiosk monitor just for winamp. It was awesome because then anyone could come over and pick music out like you would on a jukebox. (The only downside was that it would steal mouse focus, which could get super annoying.)

[Wwhat Posted Oct 19th 2008 8:48AM]

Yeah I'd like to see some fix for that focus stuff, when I play a game and activate something on the second monitor the games always insist on minimizing, goddamn fix that already MS/ATI/NVIDIA or someone-that-knows-what-he's-doing, it's 2008 and we have computer issues from the 70's or something.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 7:16PM]

I wonder if this will be DisplayLink compatible. Otherwise, any ideas how would this work on OS X? Anyone can read Korean?? There seem to be some PDFs on nanovision's site.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 9:15PM]

Horray! Looks like this might be a DisplayLink screen. The following page has a menu in the Windows software which reads "nanovision DisplayLink Manager":

http://www.worldlingo.com/S1790.5/translation?wl_srclang=ko&wl_trglang=en&wl_url=http://www.funshop.co.kr/vs/detail.aspx?categoryno=360&itemno=6367

DisplayLink released their OS X driver yesterday:
http://www.displaylink.com/mac_downloads.html

hehe! must order a couple!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 17th 2008 10:09PM]

these look great

they could have many different purposes.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 30th 2008 9:36PM]

well, the website (http://mimo.bz/) finally went live... and its just a picture of the website. amazing.

at least their company website has an english translation at the top... now if only someone would import these.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 16th 2008 11:00PM]

Now available from http://www.thegadgeteers.com

First U.S. Retailer

Enjoy

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 18th 2008 8:38PM]

Also in the UK from Scan.co.uk for a respectable £86 and £105 respectively. Well respectable for the UK anyway. That's a lot of respect...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 18th 2008 8:54PM]

Correction, that only gets you the 710 (basic model), and the 730 (mic, webcam, speaker). No word on the touchscreen 740. If the US retailer is anything to go by, expect to hand over another 15 of the Queens finest pounds, if it ever comes to retail. Pity, I suffer from an irrational need to have touchscreen everything.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 21st 2008 12:12AM]

@ thethirdmoose

Yes, Virginia...LCDs CAN produce a burn in (leave an image burned into the screen that is visible when the screen is off). I've seen quite a few of these...granted you have to leave them on a LOOONG time like LCD in hospitals and restaurants.