Can I use HDMI without physical mouse? [answered: yes I can!]

[bloblo]

Is the HDMI adapter useful without any physical mouse? Can I still use the touch screen to control things when it has an external screen attached? (I suppose that would only work if it's a mirrored image instead of e.g. ONLY the external screen, is that how it works? I haven't ordered/tried the adapter yet)

Kind of irrelevant, but if you wonder why I'm asking: before you say that's weird, I do a lot of text editing and I have a splendid additional bluetooth keyboard and a large screen can really help reducing the eyestrain (instead of you know, needing to bring in a full laptop). However, any other bluetooth devices tend to interfere with my typing on the bluetooth keyboard (lags, very annoying) and honestly, I will be having the focus in the editor area 99% of the time typing, so buying the usb-c hub AND a usb-c mouse and/or adapter (and bringing both along!) just for that purpose simply seems quite an overkill. Before you suggest I just use the other port for the mouse, I also use an usb-c audio dongle since it has far better quality, so that port is usually taken.

So does the touchscreen still work with an external screen? Or do I really want/need a mouse?

[gymbo]

Is the HDMI adapter useful without any physical mouse? Can I still use the touch screen to control things when it has an external screen attached? (I suppose that would only work if it's a mirrored image instead of e.g. ONLY the external screen, is that how it works? I haven't ordered/tried the adapter yet)

Kind of irrelevant, but if you wonder why I'm asking: before you say that's weird, I do a lot of text editing and I have a splendid additional bluetooth keyboard and a large screen can really help reducing the eyestrain (instead of you know, needing to bring in a full laptop). However, any other bluetooth devices tend to interfere with my typing on the bluetooth keyboard (lags, very annoying) and honestly, I will be having the focus in the editor area 99% of the time typing, so buying the usb-c hub AND a usb-c mouse and/or adapter (and bringing both along!) just for that purpose simply seems quite an overkill. Before you suggest I just use the other port for the mouse, I also use an usb-c audio dongle since it has far better quality, so that port is usually taken.

So does the touchscreen still work with an external screen? Or do I really want/need a mouse?

Haven't really used the HDMI-cable much, but it works as a mirror image of the Gemini. But be aware that it is somewhat "picky" about what kind of displays it will work with: It seems to be working in only one resolution/frame-rate, and with no method of changing it on the Gemini.

[bloblo]

It seems to be working in only one resolution/frame-rate, and with no method of changing it on the Gemini.

I've read that somewhere, but i don't mind. I mostly work with higher res displays and I don't mind a little downscale blurriness. (I'm not much interested in wide random projector use where this would be a big problem, rather in some fixed workplaces where I'm at sometimes where I don't wanna bring a laptop)

So in mirror mode, the touch stuff still works I assume? That would be great, because then I wouldn't strictly need a mouse  

[Daniel W]

I've read that somewhere, but i don't mind. I mostly work with higher res displays and I don't mind a little downscale blurriness. (I'm not much interested in wide random projector use where this would be a big problem, rather in some fixed workplaces where I'm at sometimes where I don't wanna bring a laptop) So in mirror mode, the touch stuff still works I assume? That would be great, because then I wouldn't strictly need a mouse  

Yes. When HDMI is on, the internal screen still works exactly as usual. There is a tad of lag in the HDMI output (I've measured about 100-120ms for the video lag and 150ms for the audio), which may or may not affect how "immediate" a tap may feel, but apart from that, the external screen will always show the same as the internal one. The output is 2160x1080p @ 60Hz, so if your external display(s) accepts that, it should just work.

I wouldn't recommend consuming media this way, due to the slightly different lag in video and audio, which can make lip sync feel a bit off, but for general computing, you should be fine, with or without a mouse. Personally, as a compromise between my fingers and a proper mouse, I've experimented with using an active (battery powered) capacitive touch pen (I've written about it [a href=\'index.php?showtopic=35680\']here[/a]). It saves me a bit of zooming if/when I need to hit small touch targets, but most of the time, my fingers are enough.

[gidds]

I wouldn't recommend consuming media this way, due to the slightly different lag in video and audio, which can make lip sync feel a bit off

Software such as VLC lets you compensate for that.

(I use it when listening through Bluetooth earphones, which have a slight delay.)

[Daniel W]

Software such as VLC lets you compensate for that.

Yes, indeed. Correct. I, too, use it for listening to music (well, sound). Apparently, when I wasn't paying attention, my brain snuck in an equal sign between "media" and "web video streaming". Interesting how habits can shape ones thinking. Thus far, I haven't found a way to adjust video or audio delay when showing something from a mobile web browser on an external screen, which is why I made that remark. I, obviously, could have expressed myself a bit clearer, though. Oh, well. Now I'm going off topic. Over-and-out.

[bloblo]

Thanks everyone! Ordered my HDMI cable now, thanks for all the helpful advice I'm confident I will find this thing as useful as the Gemini itself