Capacitive technology has been around since the mid to late 1900s, and in the past decade, we have witnessed an increasing number of consumers switching to touchscreen devices.
Recently, the trend of portable laptop screens connected to portable external monitors has become popular. As manufacturers of the lightest and customer-favorite 4K/1080P touchscreen monitors, Desklab brings you this article on ten ways you can enhance productivity using a portable laptop-monitor combo. 
What Are Portable External Monitors And How To Connect Them?
Portable touch screen monitors are devices with sensors sensitive to finger contact that allow you to navigate UI without a mouse and keyboard. When connected to laptops, LCDs, TV, projectors, smartphones, and gaming consoles, these monitors serve as a second screen for an extended view.
All modern devices have a GUI and operating system that is optimized for external display. Here are three ways you can connect a monitor to laptops or any other computer:
- HDMI Cable: High Definition Multimedia Interface or HDMI is a cable that connects two devices for audio and video sharing. It has two slanted sides. The sharing speed varies for different types and is categorized as standard, high, premium high, and ultra. It comes in standard, mini, and micro sizes.
- USB-C: USB-C is now used as a standard connector for data and power transmission. It is similar to rectangular USB connectors, except it is thicker, more flippable, and has no up or down orientation. It supports 100 watts and 20 volts and is thus compatible with larger devices.
- DisplayPort: DisplayPort is primarily used for video transmission, although it can carry other forms of data. It is flat on one side.
Check with the manufacturer to find out which connector your device supports. 
10 Best Applications Of Portable Touch Screen External Monitors
If you are considering buying a second monitor for your portable laptop screen (or other smart devices), here are ten tips you can make the most use of them:
Video Presentations
Given the reduced attention spans, videos have become a popular and efficient medium to communicate ideas and information. Audience engagement, content quality, audio, and visuals, timing; there's a lot to take care of. The process becomes even more complicated as we switch to remote working and virtual interaction.
Dual monitor setups minimize potential hiccups that may occur when presenting a video. While the first monitor shares a screen, you can use the second monitor for notes and previews.
When hosting an online conference, you get the meeting controls on the external monitor and participants' videos on the portable laptop screen.
External monitors also have a better refresh rate and synchronization support, which reduces the risk of screen lag during the presentation. 
Gaming
Touchscreen portable external monitors are especially popular among the gaming community.
The mirror view on a large screen enhances the experience and adds to the thrill, especially when playing action video games. Curve screen monitors give you a more realistic feel with a wider viewing angle.
With split-screen games, the extended display on the second monitor allows a better view.
At the same time, the touch screen enables easy and fast input, which improves your performance. Also, when using a high-resolution device like Desklab's 4K portable touchscreen monitor, you can be assured of an incredible experience free of lag and buffering.
Streaming
Streaming is essentially a real-time broadcast of events.
According to Forbes, internet use was raised by 70% during the Covid-19 pandemic. This naturally led digital creators to switch to online streaming. With even small Twitch streamers making over $1,500 a month on average, streaming is becoming a sustainable career choice.
For anyone planning on starting streaming, having a dual-screen setup is necessary. As an example, if you are a gamer, you need your primary computer (portable laptop screen) for the gameplay, while the external monitor displays chat and enables viewer-creator interaction.
Graphic Designing
Graphic designing is an emerging industry that currently stands at $43.4 billion. It is a creative line of work that requires lots of ideas and brainstorming. On a single-screen laptop, this naturally causes visual clutter, which can make it difficult to efficiently put all the ideas together.
External monitors allow you to better organize display screens. Instead of toggling between two screens or having a smaller, split-screen view, you can have your design on the primary monitor, and the controls, ideas, notes, etc., on the second one. In addition, the second monitor can also help you keep track of different color palettes and design tools.
Monitor resolution is another point that factors in to improve your design. PPI is a huge determinant of image quality, and if you buy a premium portable external monitor like Desklab touchscreen computers, you can create beautiful, high-resolution pictures.
Video Editing
The extended display with dual monitors is a savior when it comes to video editing. Portable external monitors increase the screen size. You can control your tools from one screen to edit the video on another.
Programming
These days, programmers lean towards a dual-monitor setup. It enables an organized display that allows you to view multiple codes simultaneously. A better view implies you can easily detect and remove bugs from the software code. This fastens the process and increases productivity.
Programming might require you to deal with heavy-graphics applications, which run smoothly on a multiple-monitor setup.
Music Production
Another area in which dual monitors serve well is music production. Creating music involves various steps like composing, recording, mixing, and editing. Having two screens enables an easy and efficient workflow.
Depending on your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) setup, you can customize a layout for each screen. The external monitor can also be used for notes and inspiration music.
Studying
As schools switch to online learning, having a productive setup that allows you to focus while studying has become crucial. With an external monitor, you can attend your online class on one screen and take notes /read relevant study material on the other.
Writing
Writing requires a lot of research and focus. Switching between different Google tabs and MS Word documents is time-consuming and can affect your efficiency. On the other hand, splitting screens gives a smaller display which is hard on the eye and can increase the clutter.
Having multiple monitors resolves the issue. It saves you time and effort and thus improves productivity. You can easily view multiple websites /apps while having a full-screen display of your working document.
Data Entry
Data entry is a complicated job that requires you to deal with various spreadsheets and applications. Linking an external monitor to your primary laptop simplifies the task. It enables you to conveniently drag and drop data, which saves time and minimizes distraction.
Buying Guide For Portable External Touchscreen Monitors
Here’s a basic buying guide to a high-quality portable external monitor:
Screen Size
An external monitor should be large enough for a clear display while being lightweight and easily portable.
Form Factors
The form factor refers to the physical specifications of a hardware component and the monitor's layout. It is important to know that monitors are not necessarily compatible with all devices. For example, a setup that works well for portable laptop screens might not be optimized for gaming consoles.
Similarly, touchscreen functionality can vary for different external monitors.
Therefore, when buying an external monitor, you need to thoroughly go through its form factors and ensure it sits well with your requirements.
Display
Monitors come with both rectangular and curved displays. While portrait monitors provide a wider screen that is suitable for gaming and video conferencing, the curved view is easy on the eye, and is better suited for studying, coding, and designing.
You need to weigh the pros and cons of different screen shapes and see which works best for you.
Speakers and Microphone
External monitors are often used for voice overs, while the primary screen is used to record video. Even in video presentations, using the microphone of the second monitor can limit screen lag.
Therefore, before buying a monitor, it is essential to check if it has high-quality built-in speakers and a microphone.
Resolution
For graphic designing, gameplay, and streaming, having excellent image and video quality is critical. For this, you need to consider the monitor's resolution before making a purchase.
Conclusion
A survey report suggested a 42% efficiency boost in people who worked on a portable dual monitor setup. It can serve as a mobile workstation with minimal clutter and a better display than a single portable laptop screen.
Given that music production, video editing, writing, designing, coding, and various other jobs can be made easier and simple with an external monitor, investing in a premium, high-resolution computer by a reliable company like Desklab seems a great deal.