I built a free pre-buy checker for the USB-C portable-monitor trap

A recurring buying mistake pushed me to build this: seeing USB-C on a laptop and a portable monitor, then assuming one cable must carry video and power.

The Portable Monitor Connection Checker separates four things that product listings often blur together: the laptop's actual video-output capability, external-display count and lid conditions, monitor power, and whether the cable carries data/video rather than charge only. It supports MacBook Air M3/M4 presets, one- or two-monitor plans, and a manual mode for other laptops. When the documentation is incomplete, it says “unknown” instead of guessing.

It is free and needs no signup. The Product Hunt launch is scheduled for September 12: https://www.producthunt.com/prod...

I’d value concrete edge cases from people who have bought or debugged a portable monitor: which laptop/monitor combination failed, and was the cause port capability, display limits, power, or the cable? That feedback will decide what I document next.

Disclosure: I maintain WorkChoose. The checker itself is free; linked comparison guides may use Amazon US affiliate links. Recommendations use cited specifications and documentation, and not every hardware combination has been bench-tested.