Pertelian X2040 PC Assistant USB LCD Ultra

This little gadget is as simple as it is clever. Although it is easy to connect more than one monitor to your PC, sometimes you might wish that you could always have some important information available to view at a glance, regardless of which windows are on top of other windows, or whether you are running any full-screen activities such as a game. There is nothing like being able to glance at an auxiliary display whenever you feel like it, rather than have to switch between windows or applications every few minutes. With this in mind, we are delighted to introduce the new Pertelian PC Assistant.

The name “Pertelian is a unique name derived from the Roman word for an elite guard, “Praetorian”. The Pertelian X2040 houses a high-quality Hitachi LCD display capable of showing 20 characters on 4 lines (80 characters total). Information which does not fit on the screen can be scrolled from right to left. The unit is made from sonically-welded high impact plastic, making it very robust yet lightweight. It connects to your PC using its 1.8m USB cable and can be positioned as required using velcro or left free-standing on your desk using its matching stand. The USB cable, velcro strips and desk stand are all included.

Because it does not need a high-speed connection, it does not require a USB 2.0 socket, so USB 1.0 or above will be fine. It consumes very little power, so it does not need a USB powered hub and can even plug into a secondary USB port such as those provided on some keyboards, again increasing convenience and ease of connection. The Pertelian cleverly emulates a serial port, so no drivers are requested when you first plug it in. It has a software-switchable green backlight which allows you to view the display even when dark, and the backlight can be flashed to attract your attention if an important event happens (configurable in software).

The key behind the usefulness of the Pertelian X2040 is the software which drives it. Pertelian offers an incredibly powerful, unobtrusive and easy-to-use application which you can configure to show anything you like on the LCD screen. No firmware upgrades are ever needed for the unit itself, because all Pertelian’s intelligence is cleverly contained in the PC application that drives it. The software is regularly updated and new features are constantly being added by both the manufacturer and also third-party developers (using software plug-ins). All software updates are free of charge and are available to download at any time from Pertelian’s website.

No buttons or switches are present on the LCD unit itself - all functionality is controlled using configurable hot-keys on the PC keyboard. This maximises convenience because you don’t have to take your hands away from the keyboard if you wish to change what is being shown on the LCD display. This design decision also cuts the cost of manufacturing the device, and reduces the chances of hardware failure due to a reduction in the number of mechanical parts used.

There are currently over 20 software plug-ins which have been developed by the manufacturer, and a similar number developed by the community. All plug-ins are free of charge and you can even develop your own! The number of plug-ins is being increased all the time, as the software is further developed and more and more people write their own plug-ins to show specific information on their LCD Assistants, and which they then decide to share with the Pertelian community.