[EastCleveland]

Hi everyone,

I have a Toshiba laptop (running Windows Vista) connected to an external Dell flatscreen monitor. When the laptop is running, both screens are on and work perfectly.

I'm now trying to add a Monoprice graphics tablet to the mix. I've installed the tablet's driver. I've plugged the tablet into the laptop's USB port. According to Vista, the tablet is "working normally." The laptop seems to recognize that the new addition exists. Plus the tablet's onboard indicator light glows when it should.

The problem: There's nothing on the tablet screen.

I've configured the tablet software to mirror whatever appears on the laptop screen (Screen 1), but. . . still nothing. And when I go into Vista's "Display Settings," the only mirroring options I'm given are Screen 1 (the laptop) and Screen 2 (the Dell flatscreen monitor). There's no other option offered, "Screen 3" or otherwise.

Is this a video card deficiency? A Vista deficiency? Something I'm doing wrong in configuring the settings? Or did Monoprice simply send me a bad graphics tablet?

I'd appreciate any theories.

---------------------------------

[LiveBrianD]

Does the tablet only have USB, or does it also have VGA/DVI/HDMI/Displayport?

[EastCleveland]

LiveBrianD, on 04 April 2012 - 07:37 PM, said:

Does the tablet only have USB, or does it also have VGA/DVI/HDMI/Displayport?

It has only USB.

The tablet software's "monitor mapping" setup box does show my laptop screen. So the software clearly understands what the tablet's supposed to be showing.

But the tablet screen itself? Totally blank, as if the unit (which has no on/off switch) is either switched off or dead.

Before I send it back, I want to be sure it's the tablet and not me.

[LiveBrianD]

And this tablet doesn't need an extra AC power connection or anything like that? I'd think that the tablet would appear in the in the Windows display settings. Are you sure you enabled the tablet using it's software?

[EastCleveland]

LiveBrianD, on 04 April 2012 - 09:08 PM, said:

And this tablet doesn't need an extra AC power connection or anything like that? I'd think that the tablet would appear in the in the Windows display settings. Are you sure you enabled the tablet using it's software?

There's no AC power or on/off switch. Just the USB cord. And apart from the dead screen, the tablet does work. I can open the graphics software that came with it, and even draw on the tablet screen with the pen.

To see the results, though, I have to look at either my laptop or my external monitor screens. The tablet screen shows nothing.

[ElfBane]

EastCleveland, on 04 April 2012 - 10:05 PM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 04 April 2012 - 09:08 PM, said:

And this tablet doesn't need an extra AC power connection or anything like that? I'd think that the tablet would appear in the in the Windows display settings. Are you sure you enabled the tablet using it's software?

There's no AC power or on/off switch. Just the USB cord. And apart from the dead screen, the tablet does work. I can open the graphics software that came with it, and even draw on the tablet screen with the pen.

To see the results, though, I have to look at either my laptop or my external monitor screens. The tablet screen shows nothing.

Disconnect the external monitor, then see if the lappy starts outputting to the tablet.

[EastCleveland]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Problem solved.

Oddly, Monoprice has just added a video to their webpage devoted to that particular tablet model -- which indicates that the tablet lacks any LCD/draw-directly-on-the-image capability.

The video definitely wasn't there two weeks ago, and it still doesn't appear on the pages devoted to describing the other tablets Monoprice offers (which I suspect are similarly non-LCD)

I'm sure I'm not the first to be confused by their sparse product descriptions (although the tablet's user manual is absolutely minimalist, written in what may or may not be English).

You get what you pay for, I guess -- although the many reviews for their tablets are actually very good. Thanks again.

[LiveBrianD]

Ahh, so this is like a Wacom tablet? I was wondering about that.