I reconfigure my home office workstation approximately every six months to look for tweaks and enhancements. To be honest, my needs are a little bit more than those of the average home office worker. Every week, I host a video podcast for which I require convenient, simultaneous access to my Dell minitower and MacBook Pro.
I use a Dell minitower for productive work, but I spend most of my day on my MacBook Pro for video editing, blog writing, presentation development, and other productive tasks. This is because the Nvidia video card and wonderful Broadcast app from Dell are the only available solutions for correcting eye gaze during a video podcast.
I consider the eye contact option to be an essential tool that helps me look more professional. There isn’t a similar solution for macOS, although Apple may address that during its next WWDC event in early June. I have to use a Windows computer with an appropriate Nvidia graphics card, though, for the time being.
However, using the physical buttons on the back of my current 38-inch monitor to manually switch the display inputs between these two systems is a major pain point. The fact that I have to use a second keyboard and mouse in order to use the Windows system adds to the hassle and clutter in my office.
I acquired the new HP E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor around a week ago. It’s difficult to stress how much this extra-large display has improved my overall productivity at work, even after just one week of use.
Useful Ultrawide HP E45c
Yes, for many power users of productivity, one screen is plenty. You might just need one ultrawide display to satisfy your needs, but more and more home users want regular access to several PCs, whether it’s a laptop provided by the company and a home computer or, like in my case, a Mac and a Windows computer.
With a gigantic 45-inch dual QHD display, the E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor is the newest flagship display from HP. It is made up of a single 5,120 by 1,440 pixel curved widescreen panel, which is basically the result of two 2,560-by-1,440 pixel displays put together. To use it, you’ll need a sizable amount of desktop space—ideally in a home office corner.
The monitor functions similarly to two 24-inch screens side by side without the separation or center bezel that come with a conventional twin-display configuration. This monitor’s size, shape, and 32:9 aspect ratio provide an ample amount of screen real estate that facilitates extremely practical multitasking.
The E45c’s 1500R curvature expands your field of vision, which encourages you to focus more intently on your job. Beyond just being wide, HP’s super screen has further tricks up its sleeve.
This is where the good times begin. While ultrawide monitors are not new, few of them are made to be compatible with laptops, particularly ones that use DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 4 instead of USB-C.
With just one USB-C port, the HP E45c is the first device of its size and resolution to allow dual-display input. It charges the laptop while you work by providing power through a USB connection when plugged into a wall outlet.
My MacBook Pro and Dell PC immediately displayed their system desktops in a 24-inch side-by-side arrangement (as shown above) when I plugged them into the monitor’s respective USB-C and HDMI connections. This eliminated the need for me to fiddle with the back-panel buttons, as is the case with other widescreen displays.
However, it goes beyond that.
A Home Run Is Device Bridge
Additionally, Device Bridge 2.0—an improved version of a feature that was previously exclusive to HP’s premium display line—is included with the HP E45c. Device Bridge represents a streamlined and effortless implementation of what is commonly referred to as KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) capability.
It’s obvious that HP is showcasing its skills in software development and deployment. I was able to control the desktops of the many machines that were visible on the screen with just one keyboard and mouse. I used the drag and drop method to transfer files and data between my MacBook Pro and Dell PC. The update also includes a security mechanism that disables Device Bridge when needed.
You can use this feature to control one Windows PC, one macOS system, or two of each type of computer.
HP says you can even daisy chain another ultrawide monitor to replicate up to four displays across two screens, however I haven’t tried this for the ideal workspace.
The Sonos Era 100 Speakers Will Upgrade Your Home Office
In all honesty, the PC market has never really been the focus of Sonos speakers. The soundbars, portable Roam, subwoofer, and earlier Play series speakers from the business all sound good when paired with televisions or as part of an entertainment system.
But the real selling point of a Sonos speaker is the technology concealed beneath the grill. Listening to everything, wherever is made most practical by its multiroom system capability. It has integrations with almost all music streaming services worth noting, including Alexa, Apple, Google, and others.
Now, in terms of sound quality, Sonos finally destroys competitors with the new Era 100.
The Era 100 is without a doubt the best little all-in-one speaker I have ever heard when used in a pair.
Though I wasn’t using the speakers directly connected to my MacBook Pro’s audio port, I never had any problems with video/audio synchronization when streaming or editing video for my podcasts, which alarmed me. Its Bluetooth connectivity may also cause latency problems.
You may get the Era 100 speaker in either white or black. Because your phone has a volume slider and a play/pause button, you can execute simple chores without taking it out. The speaker’s rubberized bottom, which sticks to practically any surface and reduces acoustic vibration, is an upgrade.
If you prefer not to use voice assistance, you can manually switch off the built-in microphone by pressing the button on the back of the speaker, which is located next to the USB-C port.
Simple Setup Is Impressive
It’s easy to pair and set up two Era 100s. The Sonos USB-C to audio port converter, which costs $19 and is available separately, allows only one speaker to be physically attached to the 3.5mm audio port on my MacBook Pro, but both speakers function together when paired.
All I had to do for the simple setup was take out my phone, download the Sonos app, and link the speaker to my account. You can set up groups of many speakers, connect to all of your favorite streaming services, and find the Era 100 in your house with the Sonos app.
I like how easily my voice assistant, Spotify, Alexa, and streaming provider are integrated. In my neighboring kitchen, I replaced an outdated Amazon Echo speaker with an Era 100, which was just as far away but picked up my commands better. Additionally, the speaker features excellent voice control microphones.Like the improved microphones, a large portion of the Era 100’s best features are out of sight. Nevertheless, as soon as you begin to play music and take part in video conferences, you’ll notice them.
For true stereo sound, Sonos added two angled tweeters and increased the woofers by 25%. Similar in size and shape earlier Sonos speakers were limited to playing mono music.
With a 47% faster CPU than previous models, the speaker may receive software upgrades for a longer period of time.
It’s interesting to note that Sonos claims to have “over-built” the processing in these speakers in order to better accommodate any future performance upgrades. While I have been comparing multiple Sonos speaker types side by side for years without experiencing any latency, it’s encouraging to know that there is still room for improvement.
Final Thoughts
Although the top-line unit growth in the PC market as a whole is still struggling and is unlikely to slow down for several quarters, if not a year, the peripherals category, which includes docking stations and large-screen displays, is still doing well.
Manufacturers are starting to realize that employees need multiple systems at home. Even while it’s relatively unusual for companies to have numerous displays, home users tend to have smaller desktop spaces and don’t want clutter from cables.
The HP E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor, at $1,099, is more reasonably priced than one may assume when taking into account the average cost of two high-end 24-inch monitors. Multisystem workers will drool over this monitor’s fantastic Device Bridge capability, which eliminates the need for a second keyboard and mouse input device.
For all but the most experienced users, the HP E45c’s abundance of integrated connectors will allow for docking station-like functionality. My work at home has altered as a result of this monitor, which has significantly increased my output.