LG intros first USB-based LCD for North America

LG this morning broke ground for its Flatron LCDs with the L206WU, its first-ever screen based on USB for output. Processing onboard the 20-inch wide display gives computers an extra screen regardless of what their video cards can manage. The system is also distinctly efficient and will drive three monitors at once through a single USB port, LG says. Future updates will also permit as many as six LCDs. All displays attached to a PC run at a native 1680x1050 -- versus the 1280x1024 of the Samsung 940UX -- and include the same 3,000:1 contrast, 2ms response time, and 32-bit color of the normal model.

Pricing and an exact launch window for the L206UW were not divulged by LG, though the company notes that the USB version currently requires Windows and supports up to Windows Vista; enough performance is in place to drive the 3D-accelerated Aero Glass interface across all displays.