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OWC intros USB adapter for multiple displays
updated 04:20 pm EDT, Tue April 28, 2009
OWC USB display adapter
Other World Computing has introduced a USB 2.0 display adapter that can be used to add multiple displays to a PC or Mac. The device plugs into an available USB port, while the displays can be connected via HDMI, DVI or VGA cables. Full 32-bit color is supported, along with resolutions up to 1600 by 1200 pixels. Up to six adapters can be used to clone the primary screen or extend the desktop to six displays.
The display adapter ships with a USB to DVI adapter, DVI to VGA adapter, DVI to HDMI swivel adapter and a four foot USB 2.0 cable. Customers can purchase the device from OWC for $100.
Caveat emptor
04/29, 01:52am reply
From the fine print: This release does not support OpenGL acceleration (3D hardware acceleration) so therefore applications and features that require OpenGL, Quartz Extreme, Quartz Composer and other framework based on OpenGL will not be fully supported. Examples of such features are Keynote Presentations, iPhoto Slideshows and iMovie.
martinX
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2008
Re: caveat
04/29, 09:38am (1 reply) reply
Not fully supported just means you won't get gee-whiz-golly animations. Not that they won't work.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Caveat emptor
04/29, 07:40pm reply
From the fine print: This release does not support OpenGL acceleration (3D hardware acceleration) so therefore applications and features that require OpenGL, Quartz Extreme, Quartz Composer and other framework based on OpenGL will not be fully supported. Examples of such features are Keynote Presentations, iPhoto Slideshows and iMovie.
martinX
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2008
Doing the math, correct?
04/30, 01:45am reply
USB 2.0 speed is 480Mbps
Display: 1600 x 1024 with 24 bit color
48010241024 / (1600120024) = ~11 fps
That's the worst-case scenario, certainly the drivers aren't pumping a whole frame to the device 75 times a second. So this is some kind of external bus-powered frame buffer - a mini video card on a cable, apparently.
slur
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999