I have read multiple reports discussing unpleasant physiological effects from VR headset use.

Subject:	Re: [GTALUG] Portable Monitors
Date:	2024-07-28 07:32
From:	CAREY SCHUG via talk <talk@gtalug.org>
To:	GTALUG Talk <talk@gtalug.org>

last minute update: Wowser, I didn't even know portable screens were a thing. maybe I'll get a couple for my desktop at home... https://www.ebay.com/itm/315365426457?epid=22055444403 Maybe do virtual machines with one dedicated monitor for each on a powered 7-way USB hub.

original reply, maybe obsolete now:

The VR headset, of course, is not multiple screens but one very large one. And the learning curve would be at home. Imagine, ALL THE TIME, but starting at home, instead of 2 or 3 screens of a mere 3000x2000 pixels, you have one 50,000x12,000 VR screen, in your lay-z-boy, watching two football games, looking up stats of the players, responding to emails, doing web searches to plan your next vacation, and whatever else, ALL AT THE SAME TIME? Don't jump on me, I have never watched football in my life, but just using something most guys do.

Another option is a cable that plugs into the HDMI output on your laptop and creates a camera to the USB input on any tablet computer. And you can take the tablet to a coffee shop after a meeting where there isn't room for a full notebook.

I didn't mean to throw the monitor away each time, just that it would be no loss if it got broken or lost by the airline, "died after a dozen uses" (your words), you bought stuff for the wife and kids and would it put you into an extra $$$ baggage charge, etc.

--Carey

On 07/27/2024 10:37 AM CDT Nick Accad via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:

The one constant about my accommodations while traveling is inconsistency.

I stayed at a place once where they advertised "Colour TV", another 4-star hotel had a bezel around the TV to block access to the ports.

Sometimes I stay with friends and family, where taking over their TV is not.. polite?

Buying a throw away monitor every time I travel is not an optimal solution because not everywhere I go has such things.

VR headset is an interesting idea that I did not look into, but it comes with a learning curve, and I am not sure I want to test this on the road, maybe a future project from my office to see how comfortable enough I can be, do you have any examples or write up on how that works with X/Wayland?

I need a simple thing I can pull out of my "travel crash cart", that does not rely on anything that I don't carry with me, hence portable laptop, something in the 15-16", AC/DC should be enough, if it pulls power from the laptop that is even better, but not necessary.

I grabbed one off eBay, it was $99, $135 after taxes and fees, that way I won't cry too hard if it fails on me, we'll see.

If anyone has an experience with specific models, please let me know.

-nick

On Sat, Jul 27, 2024 at 8:57 AM CAREY SCHUG via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:

Just to make sure, trying to think outside the box, what do you need:

--needs to operate from a battery, or is AC enough?
--could an adapter to the TV in a hotel room suffice?
--an HDMI frame grabber connecting to USB on a tablet computer?

The latter is from a not recently travelling person, not sure if hotel TVs might have an accessible port for connecting a computer to. Most home TVs have HDMI input and laptops HDMI output, so all you'd need would be a (possibly long) cable. otherwise various conversion adapters are available.

also, as a non-user, can VR headsets connect to a computer to give you a virtual screen as tall as the ceiling, and 360 degrees around the room?

Unless your needs are special and/or light weight, you can visit a thrift store and get last years flatscreens for peanuts. Go to the wealthiest community around, in the poorer areas, the 1024x768 displays start at $20, in the wealthy areas, the pivot 1920x1280 displays go for $10-$15. And if you drop it, or airline loses it, just go get another.

I used an HDMI frame grabber to take the display from one notebook computer and share it in a zoom session on a desktop computer, to show real time what happens with an unusual operating system on the notebook, or installation of an OS on that notebook.

<pre>--Carey</pre>