Back in March, I wrote GeChic On-Lap 2501M 15.6" Battery-Powered Monitor, Tested, finding the 2501M to be an interesting, if not high-priced product. With the myriad of smartphone and tablet choices you have, a portable monitor is more of a niche accessory than an indispensable addition to the 'ol gadget bag.
AOC E1659FWU
Today, we're looking at AOC’s E1659FWU, which checks in at a more value-conscious $130 and offers utter simplicity of operation. Install the drivers, plug in the USB 3.0 cable, and you’re ready to work. We also have another unit from GeChic, the On-Lap 1502I, selling at much higher price point. The On-Lap comes loaded with more features, though. It's a 1920x1080 IPS-based screen, for starters; AOC makes do with a TN panel at 1366x768. At 15.6 inches, GeChic's pixel density is in Retina territory: 144 ppi. It’s also a capacitive touchscreen with 10-point multi-touch support in Windows 8.
GeChic On-Lap 1502I
Both products come as complete kits; all you need is a source. The E1659FWU only works with a computer, since its lone input is USB. The necessary cable is included, along with a carrying case. The On-Lap 1502I accommodates computers, gaming consoles, and even standalone Blu-ray players. All the cables come bundled, along with a very cool stand. Unlike its predecessor, the On-Lap 2501M, there’s no internal battery. Power comes from either the connected computer or a wall outlet. The main attraction here is touchscreen support and a native 1080p resolution. Believe us, though; you pay handsomely for those capabilities.
| Brand | AOC | GeChic |
|---|---|---|
| Model | E1659FWU | On-Lap 1502I |
| Street Price | $130 | $400 |
| Panel Type | TN | IPS |
| Touchscreen | - | Projected capacitive 10-point multi-touch |
| Backlight | W-LED | W-LED |
| Screen Size | 15.6" | 15.6" |
| Max Resolution | 1366x768 | 1920x1080 |
| Max Refresh Rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Response Time (GTG) | - | 17.5 |
| Brightness (cd/m2) | 200 | 220 |
| Speakers | - | 2 x 1 W |
| VGA | - | 1 |
| DVI | - | - |
| DisplayPort | - | - |
| HDMI | - | 1 w/MHL |
| Headphone | - | 1 |
| USB Input | 1, v3.0 micro | 1 |
| Dimensions W x H x D | 14.8 x 9.2 x .9 in 375 x 234 x 23 mm | 16.9 x 9.8 x .4 in 430 x 248 x 10 mm |
| Warranty | Three years | Three years |
You probably wouldn't expect the performance of a desktop display from a portable panel. But the pricing (particularly what GeChic wants for its On-Lap 1502I) suggests otherwise. In a time when even the cheapest monitors we test turn in excellent results, there’s no reason we can’t hold portables to the same standards.
GeChic takes steps in the right direction with a Full-HD IPS screen and a usable and practical OSD. AOC, ostensibly to keep its price down, forgoes the adjustments and the extra inputs. The company also leans on a TN panel as the basis for its E1659FWU. Straight-up, this is a six-bit part with no dithering, so the available color palette extends to 262,144 shades. As it turns out, GeChic’s offering is also natively six-bit-capable.
Since these are essentially laptop-style displays, they use laptop-oriented components. That is why their color bit depth and gamut volume are smaller. As you'll see on page seven, neither product renders the entire sRGB color space. Why'd the two companies choose the hardware they did? Mainly as a result of lower power consumption and heat output. The extra processing power required to manage an eight-bit color palette would have added bulk. And even a USB 3.0 connection like the one AOC uses only allows 1.5 A of maximum current.
AOC E1659FWU
AOC includes a nice neoprene carry case with its portable screen, along with a USB 3.0 cable and a CD-ROM containing drivers and manuals. It’s a minimalist package, but this product is all about simplicity and there’s nothing else you need to make it work.

The bezel is fairly narrow on the sides and top, and slightly wider at the bottom. It’s made of a glossy black plastic that resists smudges well and seems quite durable. There are no physical controls of any kind, just an AOC logo molded in silver in the bottom-center.

The stand is permanently installed, fitting flush against the panel’s back when you don't need it. A suitably stiff hinge mechanism keeps the stand in whatever position you set. AOC's E1659FWU works equally well in a landscape or portrait orientation. If you want to bolt the display to a bracket, there’s a 75 mm VESA mount.
Inside the triangular cavity formed by the stand, you can see the monitor's one input, a USB 3.0 connector that carries signal and power from the PC you hook up to. That means the only way to get an input is through a desktop or laptop. Unlike GeChic's panel, there is no HDMI-MHL port.

From the side, the E1659FWU has a slim profile. And the stand is made from cast aluminum, conveying a bit of a high-end touch. The whole hardware package is quite lightweight at a mere 2.6 pounds (1200 grams).

Again, the stand works equally well in either portrait or landscape mode.
While this portable monitor is technically limited compared to GeChic’s submission, it also costs less than one-third of the On-Lap 1502I. As an easy-to-use desktop extender, AOC's E1659FWU appears to be a viable choice.
GeChic On-Lap 1502I

The 1502I represents a significant step up from the 2502M we reviewed a few months ago. GeChic eliminated the nine-hour battery, but more than made up for that loss with several new features. Included in the box are cables for HDMI/MHL, VGA, USB, plus an AC adapter. There is also a stand with stick-on rubber feet. Rounding out the package is a printed manual.

GeChic shows the Windows 8 home screen in most of its stock photography, and with good reason: the On-Lap 1502I is 10-point multi-touch-compatible. It has a capacitive layer that works just like the one on your iPad or Android-based device. The front surface isn’t super-slick, but GeChic’s anti-glare coating is better at cutting reflections. Yes, Apple’s products have more slippery-feeling screens. However, we acclimated to the 1502I quickly. In Windows 7, the touchscreen works like a mouse; it supports cursor movement and selection only. You won’t need to install any extra drivers to do this, which is good because GeChic doesn’t include any. If you want to use the panel with an Android-based device, you need to download drivers from the company's website.

The 1502I can be connected to your source in a number of different ways. Like the AOC, it can receive power via USB, either from a computer or a wall outlet. You actually need to use the USB connection to enable touchscreen functionality. Video signals can arrive via HDMI with MHL or VGA. All of the necessary cables and adapters are included in the box. Audio is enabled by two speakers and a headphone output. To get sound, you need to send a signal over the HDMI connection; there is no analog input. The speakers are understandably small due to the On-Lap's thin profile, and they sound fairly tinny. The audio quality you get from the headphone jack is far better.
You can also see the controls in the above photo. Starting at the top is power, then exit, up, menu, and down. The exit key doubles as an auto-setup for analog signals, and the up and down buttons adjust volume when the menu is not engaged. The buttons are touch-sensitive, of course, and require a committed press to activate. The OSD is similar to what you find on a desktop monitor. There is only one picture mode, but you do get brightness, contrast, and color temp controls. If you choose the user preset, there are RGB sliders that let you to dial in an accurate white balance.

The coolest accessory in the package is this stand. It’s a two-piece design consisting of a cradle and stamped metal piece that snaps on the back. You can set it at four different angles, and it appears to be very well-made.

If you want to mount the On-Lap 1502I, you can buy a VESA kit that creates a slide-in bracket for the panel. This bracket works with any 100 mm mount.
AOC E1659FWU
AOC’s portable monitor is super-simple to operate, and can be quickly and easily hooked up to any PC desktop or laptop. It’s compatible with Windows versions as far back as XP, and no matter what flavor you’re running, there are only a couple of steps involved.
Everything happens through a USB cable; there are no other inputs. This includes power as well as video. The second-generation standard is supported with some limitations, especially when it comes to the throughput needed for playing back DVDs on the screen. A USB 3.0 cable is included, and the E1659FWU works best when you attached it to a USB 3.0 port.
Regardless of your Windows version, you need to install drivers from the included CD before connecting the monitor. After agreeing to the license terms, the install takes a minute or so. Then you should re-boot. Once you’re back up and the monitor is connected, it automatically sets itself to extend mode. Since your desktop resolution is probably higher than 1366x768, you'll probably want to specify which area of your main display will act as the transition area. If you open your display control dialog box and change the monitor configuration to duplicate (as we had to for some of our tests), your main screen will be forced to the E1659FWU's lower 1366x768 resolution.
Once you have it up and running, you’re done. There is no OSD available. The only adjustments are brightness and contrast, which can be accessed through a system tray icon. The sliders themselves are controlled with your mouse pointer. There are no buttons to manipulate on the panel.
GeChic On-Lap 1502I
Installing the On-Lap 1502I is a matter of connecting the USB port to either a computer or power outlet, and hooking up a VGA or HDMI video signal source. The screen automatically comes up in Windows 7 or 8 in an extended desktop configuration. The touchscreen functions work right out of the box with no additional driver installation. Windows 7 only supports touch for basic mouse operations. In Windows 8, it’s 10-point multi-touch-compatible.
Since GeChic includes calibration controls, we dialed the On-Lap in for our tests. The Brightness control, as in most monitors, modulates the backlight rather than actually changing the black level. Our only caution is to leave it set above 12. Any lower and visible flickering results. That shouldn't be a problem though, since you have to set the screen to at least 21 if you want more than 50 cd/m2. The RGB sliders allowed us to generate decent grayscale numbers, which you’ll see on page six.
| GeChic On-Lap 1502I Calibration Settings | |
|---|---|
| Contrast | 70 |
| Brightness | 90 |
| Color Temp | User |
| RGB | Red 43, Green 40, Blue 43 |
Moving on to the benchmarks, we were able to test both panels exactly like their desktop counterparts.
To measure and calibrate monitors, we use an i1Pro spectrophotometer and version 5.1.2 of SpectraCal’s CalMAN software.

For patterns, we employ an AccuPel DVG-5000 video signal generator. This approach removes video cards and drivers from the signal chain, allowing the display to receive true reference patterns. Connections are made via HDMI.

The AccuPel DVG-5000 is capable of generating all types of video signals at any resolution and refresh rate up to 1920x1080 at 60 Hz. It can also display motion patterns to evaluate a monitor's video processing capabilities, with 3D patterns available in every format. This allows us to measure color and grayscale performance, crosstalk, and ghosting in 3D content via the 3D glasses.
The i1Pro is placed at the center of the screen (unless we’re measuring uniformity) and sealed against it to block out any ambient light. The Accupel pattern generator (bottom left) is controlled via USB by CalMAN, which is running on the Dell XPS laptop on the right.
Our version of CalMAN Ultimate allows me to design all of the screens and workflows to best suit the purpose at hand. To that end, we’ve created a display review workflow from scratch. This way, we can be sure and collect all the necessary data with a concise and efficient set of measurements.
The charts show us the RGB levels, gamma response, and Delta E error for every brightness point from zero to 100 percent. The table shows us the raw data for each measurement. And the area in the upper-left tells us luminance, average gamma, Delta E, and contrast ratio. The individual charts can be copied to the Windows clipboard to easily create graphics for our reviews.
Every primary and secondary color is measured at 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 percent saturation. The color saturation level is simply the distance from the white point on the CIE chart. You can see the targets moving out from white in a straight line. The further a point is from center, the greater the saturation until you hit 100 percent at the edge of the gamut triangle. This shows us the display’s response at a cross-section of color points. Many monitors score well when only the 100 percent saturations are measured. Hitting the targets at the lower saturations is more difficult, and factors into our average Delta E value (which explains why our Delta E values are sometimes higher than those reported by other publications).
Uncalibrated
Before calibrating any panel, we measure zero and 100 percent signals at both ends of the brightness control range. This shows us how contrast is affected at the extremes of a monitor's luminance capability. We do not increase the contrast control past the clipping point. While doing this would increase a monitor’s light output, the brightest signal levels would not be visible, resulting in crushed highlight detail. Our numbers show the maximum light level possible with no clipping of the signal.
A few months ago, we reviewed GeChic’s On-Lap 2501M so we’re including it in our comparison. We’ve also put three lower-priced screens in the group.

Brightness for all three portables maxes out at around 200 cd/m2. The higher-res On-Lap 1502I is the brightest at 224.0972 cd/m2. If you're looking to use any of these outside or in some other brightly-lit environment, they are all a little underpowered. Indoors, they're just bright enough to match the average desktop display.

Each portable's black level is a little higher than most desktop monitors. AOC's result is particularly high. This renders blacks that look more like dark gray. Though most LCD panels struggle with black levels, recently-reviewed screens like the HP E271i make big improvements over what we've seen in the past.
Here’s the final max contrast result.

GeChic’s On-Lap 1502I comes closest to matching the contrast of a desktop screen. But AOC’s poor black level really hurts its contrast result. In real-world content, the E1659FWU looks better as a productivity-oriented display than if you were to look at photos or video on it.
For the next group of measurements, we turn down the brightness control to its minimum setting and leave the contrast unchanged. Because of the interesting results we recorded, we’re including the comparison chart for minimum white level. Not all of these products are usable with their brightness control bottomed out.

We recommend 50 cd/m2 as a practical minimum in a dark environment. Below that and you risk eyestrain. All three portables show up well under our target mark. In the case of GeChic's On-Lap 1502I, any brightness setting below 12 causes annoying flicker as the backlight is modulated more slowly than the 60 Hz refresh rate. To reach an output of 50 cd/m2, set the brightness to 21. AOC's offering also requires a bump up from the bottom to reach our desired level. There are no numerical values for brightness on the E1659FWU, so we set it to around 30 percent.

At these low brightness settings, all three portables show a significant improvement in black levels. The On-Lap 1502I is within striking distance of the HP, our black level champ.
We wrap up this section with the minimum contrast comparison.

The above contrast numbers are calculated from the minimum white level value. The On-Lap 1502I improves to 658.4 to 1 when the brightness is raised to 50 cd/m2. The AOC comes up a bit to 458.1 to 1 which is visibly better.
After Calibration
Since we consider 200 cd/m2 to be an ideal point for peak output, we calibrate all of our test monitors to that value. In a room with some ambient light (like an office), this brightness level provides a sharp, punchy image with maximum detail and minimum eye fatigue. It's also the sweet spot for gamma and grayscale tracking, which we'll look at on the next page.

AOC's E1659FWU can’t quite hit 200 cd/m2, but the On-Lap 1502I can. Like most monitors, you can’t raise the contrast control past its default without clipping the brightest details.
Here is the calibrated black level, which can sometimes rise a bit from the monitor’s default state. We consider the tradeoff in contrast well worth the gain in color accuracy.

Calibration has little impact on the On-Lap 1502I’s black level. And AOC cannot be improved from its .5468 cd/m2 value.
Here are the final calibrated contrast numbers.

The On-Lap’s calibrated contrast is only slightly lower than its max number. As you’ll see in the next section, the improved grayscale performance makes calibrating the 1502I worthwhile. Perceived contrast is also pretty solid thanks to its excellent gamma response.
ANSI Contrast Ratio
Another important measure of contrast is ANSI. To perform this test, a checkerboard pattern of sixteen zero and 100 percent squares is measured. This is somewhat more real-world than on/off measurements because it tests a display’s ability to simultaneously maintain both low black and full white levels, and factors in screen uniformity. The average of the eight full-white measurements is divided by the average of the eight full-black measurements to arrive at the ANSI result.

The On-Lap 1502I posts an ANSI result higher than its calibrated contrast number. This is pretty rare for any computer monitor, regardless of price or technology. GeChic may be charging a premium price for its portable, but the company isn't skimping on quality. AOC also posts a surprising result by exceeding its rated on/off number. This further improves the E1659FWU’s perceived contrast.
A majority of monitors, especially newer models, display excellent grayscale tracking (even at stock settings). It’s important that the color of white be consistently neutral at all light levels from darkest to brightest. Grayscale performance impacts color accuracy with regard to the secondary colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow. Since computer monitors typically have no color or tint adjustment, accurate grayscale is key.
Because AOC's E1659FWU has no calibration controls, we can only show you a single grayscale result.

The color temp is very cool, with an obvious blue tint to the image. The advantage of this is that the panel look a little brighter than its luminance numbers would suggest. Our main complaint is that you can’t match the color temp of the E1659FWU to your main monitor. Since its main use is as a secondary screen, there should be a way to synchronize its color settings. Even a couple of presets would be an improvement.
Here is the GeChic’s out-of-box measurement.

This result shows the user color temp preset with no changes made to the RGB sliders. There is a slight blue tint to the image that increases with brightness. This is the best mode to use if you don’t calibrate. The warm preset adds a noticeable red tint, and makes the image look a bit flat.
Now, here's the calibrated result.

This is one of the best grayscale charts we’ve seen. The Delta E error is under one at all brightness levels except for 10 percent, where it is still comfortably under two. We're pleasantly surprised by such an excellent performance.
Let’s bring our comparison group back into the mix.

Neither portable does particularly well by default, and the On-Lap 1502I demonstrates more grayscale error than its predecessor, the On-Lap 2501M. AOC’s E1659FWU has errors ranging from a low of 2.78 to a high of 15.71 Delta E.
GeChic's submission can be calibrated to a high standard at least, while AOC’s portable must make do with no adjustment.

The On-Lap 1502I even bests a number of desktop screens in our comparison group. Its IPS glass offers excellent grayscale performance. And a wide range of adjustment means you can match the color temp to any desktop monitor you use it with. If you go with AOC's more affordable option, we recommend using a product like CalMAN or Spyder to generate a LUT so your screens display the same color temp.
Gamma Response
Gamma is the measurement of luminance levels at every step in the brightness range from 0 to 100 percent. This is important because poor gamma can either crush detail at various points or wash it out, making the entire picture appear flat and dull. Correct gamma produces a more three-dimensional image, with a greater sense of depth and realism. Meanwhile, incorrect gamma can negatively affect image quality, even in monitors with high contrast ratios.
In the gamma charts below, the yellow line represents 2.2, which is the most widely accepted standard for television, film, and computer graphics production. The closer the white measurement trace comes to 2.2, the better.
We begin with the E1659FWU’s graph.

AOC's E1659FWU redeems itself with a decent gamma measurement. Tracking is fairly flat from 10 percent brightness on up. And the values stick pretty close to 2.2. A dip at 10 percent represents a brightness level that’s 1.7 cd/m2 too high.
The On-Lap 1502I’s chart looks even better.

GeChic's gamma response is just as good as its grayscale accuracy. Tracking is almost ruler-flat, with just the tiniest dip at 90 percent brightness. This helps increase perceived contrast quite a bit.
Here’s our test group again for the gamma comparisons.

GeChic's 1502I and the 2502M display the best gamma response among our portable contenders. A range of .14 places the company's newest product among the best displays we’ve reviewed. AOC isn’t far behind with a .39 variation.
We calculate the average gamma deviation by simply expressing the difference from 2.2 as a percentage.

None of the portable monitors we’ve reviewed stray too far from the 2.2 gamma standard. This helps improve perceived contrast, which is a good thing considering the middling native contrast performance we already measured.
Color gamut is measured using a saturation sweep that samples the six main colors (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow) at five saturation levels (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%). This provides a more realistic view of color accuracy than sampling only the 100 percent saturations. Since there are no color management controls on the E1659FWU, we're only showing the post-calibration graphs (although we’re sure they'd look pretty much the same out-of-box).

AOC’s color gamut is quite under-saturated in the red, magenta, and blue region. And because of the too-cool grayscale tracking, the secondary colors are clocked well away from their targets. The luminance values for blue and magenta are set higher to compensate, but the overall result is still fairly inaccurate. We recorded Delta E values as high as 20.26.

The last GeChic portable we reviewed, the On-Lap 2502M, rendered a similarly under-saturated color gamut. The green, cyan, and yellow side of the triangle is OK but its blue, magenta, and red section is noticeably light in color. That saturation tracks fine from the center outwards, but any color in the lower-right part of the gamut triangle looks washed out. When you look at the luminance chart, you can see those under-saturated colors are pumped up with higher brightness values.

The On-Lap 1502I manages to stay close to its desktop counterparts in color accuracy, but the E1659FWU lags behind. AOC's one saving grace is that its color errors decrease at higher brightness and saturation levels. Most business-oriented content looks alright, but photos and videos appear washed out, lacking depth and pop.
Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998
There are basically two categories of displays in use today: those that conform to the sRGB/Rec 709 standard like HDTVs, and wide-gamut panels that show as much as 100 percent of the Adobe RGB 1998 spec. We use Gamutvision to calculate the gamut volume, based on an ICC profile created from actual measurements. The chart shows the percentage of both sRGB and Adobe RGB 1998 gamuts.

These portable monitors are not meant to be used for critical photo or video editing. Their color gamuts fall well short of both the Adobe RGB and sRGB standards. While we would not expect to see a wide-gamut product in this category, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t support the sRGB specs.
AOC's E1659FWU looks similar to other TN screens we’ve photographed. Detail is greatly reduced as you move off-center, especially in the up or down direction. If you set this monitor up on a desktop, be sure to angle it towards you. If you’re using it on your lap, it’s pretty easy to maintain a centered perspective. If the E1659FWU were brighter, it would do a little better in this test.
The On-Lap 1502I demonstrates a significant improvement over its TN-based predecessor, the 2501M. IPS really is the way to go here. Side to side, there is only a little light falloff and no color shift. Top to bottom reveals some light falloff and a blue color shift. This panel is much better than the last On-Lap we reviewed, to be sure.
Screen Uniformity: Luminance
To measure screen uniformity, zero percent and 100 percent full-field patterns are used, and nine points are sampled. In a change from previous reviews, we’re now comparing the results to other monitors we’ve measured. First, we establish a baseline measurement at the center of each screen. Then the surrounding eight points are measured and their values expressed as a percentage of the baseline, either above or below. This number gets averaged. It is important to remember that we only test the review sample each vendor submits. Other examples of the same monitor can measure differently in this metric.
First up is black field uniformity.

These numbers aren't as bad as they look. We can’t see any significant hot spots on either screen. As expected, GeChic’s more expensive IPS panel is a little better than AOC’s TN one.
Here’s the white field measurement.

Both the On-Lap 1502I and the E1659FWU deliver excellent white field uniformity. They measure as good as or better than most desktop displays we’ve reviewed.
Screen Uniformity: Color
To measure color uniformity, we display an 80-percent white field and measure the Delta E error of the same nine points on the screen. Then we subtract the lowest value from the highest. A smaller number means a display is more uniform. Any value below three means that variation is invisible to the naked eye.

We don’t have color uniformity data for the On-Lap 2502M or AOC I2757FH. However, with Delta E variations of 1.46 and 1.99, both portables being reviewed today have no visible color error on a white field pattern.
To perform these tests, we use a high-speed camera that shoots at 1000 frames per second. Analyzing the video frame-by-frame allows us to observe the exact time it takes to go from a zero-percent signal to a 100% white field.
The pattern generator is placed at the base of the monitor so our camera can capture the precise moment its front-panel LED lights up, indicating that a video signal is being received by the monitor. With this camera placement, we can easily see how long it takes to fully display a pattern after pressing the button on the generator’s remote. This testing methodology allows for accurate and repeatable results when comparing panels.
Here’s a shot of our test setup. Click on the photo to enlarge.
The brighter section of the camera’s screen is what will actually appear in the video. You can see the lights of the pattern generator in the bottom of the viewfinder. We flash the pattern on and off five times and average the results.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to connect AOC's E1659FWU to our pattern generator for this test, so we’re only able to show results for GeChic's On-Lap 1502I.

The On-Lap’s screen draw performance matches that of other IPS panels we’ve tested. Our historical data shows clearly that resolution and screen size do not affect the results. All the IPS monitors we’ve tested this year complete a full black to white transition in 20 to 24 milliseconds.
Next up are the lag measurements.

There are no major differences here either. All of the IPS monitors we’ve measured refresh at 60 Hz, and they all exhibit input lag between 52 and 94 milliseconds. It seems the only way to significantly improve this metric is to increase the refresh rate.
GeChic has always been a niche company, creating interesting products for enthusiasts looking for unique technology. While the adoption of Windows 8 has been relatively slow, it's one of those companies answering the call with touchscreens ready to support the new OS. This tech doesn’t come cheap, and the On-Lap 1502I is a perfect example. At $400, it will set you back almost as much as an iPad.
With the On-Lap 1502I, GeChic raises the bar not only with touchscreen support, but also a decent IPS panel at its core. Grayscale and gamma performance are impressive, as is the inclusion of calibration controls. Overall brightness and contrast are also improved. The only flaw worth pointing out is the under-saturated color gamut. Considering the color quality of even value-oriented desktop displays in today’s market, there’s no excuse for a portable monitor at this price point that can’t come close to the sRGB standard.
The On-Lap’s versatility is certainly a positive in its favor. You can connect just about anything to it, even an analog source. And power can come either from your computer’s USB port or a wall plug. There’s no battery, but the 1502I is slimmer and lighter as a result. We’re also impressed with the full complement of accessories included. All the necessary cables come bundled, along with a very nice stand. The only thing you might purchase separately is a VESA mount.

AOC takes a much more minimalist approach with its E1659FWU. All of the magic happens through a single USB 3.0 input, so there’s only one cable to carry. You do need to address driver installation before using the E1659FWU, whereas GeChic's On-Lap is plug-and-play. The biggest draw for this product is its low price. For $130, you get 15.6-inch monitor that’s lightweight and easy to set up. AOC even includes a nice carrying case. And if you need a larger screen, it sells a 22-inch E2251FWU for $200.
For our standards, the E1659FWU falls short in most performance areas. It’s not quite bright enough to overcome the viewing angle issues of a TN panel. And its lack of color temp adjustments means you have to accept its overly cool white balance. Like the GeChic, it too has an under-saturated color gamut. Nearly every computer and video source conforms to the sRGB gamut. We believe every display should too.
It’s difficult to recommend one of these portables over the other. One costs more than twice as much as the other, so they don't really compete. If you need a cheap solution that’s quick and easy, and are willing to tolerate the shortcomings we've identified, go for the AOC. If you want a touchscreen with more versatility, choose the GeChic. There’s no doubt that GeChic offers the better-performing panel. But you pay dearly for that step up. Viewed purely as a workplace tool, AOC's solution is fine, and has less of an impact on your wallet.





