Construction and design: 15 out of 20
With its well thought out and crafted design BenQ really nailed the installation and functionality of the ScreenBar. It works and it works well. There is however plenty of room for improvement. One button with few presets per option is just not enough fine grain control. The same is true of the swivel abilities of the ScreenBar. If BenQ had simply given us a dial or two and placed the USB port somewhere else… the ScreenBar would have been a lot more customizable.
Learning Curve: 17 out of 20
While not as easy to use as turning on a lightbulb… given the fact it has so many features baked right in it actually is pretty darn easy to use. Yes, it will take a few moments to ‘get it’ and there will be a few moments of frustration as you overshoot the setting you want (and have to cycle all the way back) but its not what we would call a steep learning curve by any stretch. Mix in the fact that it remembers its last used setting even when turned off… and its not too bad at all.
Usability: 35 out of 40
This is where the BenQ ScreenBar almost knocks it out of the park. No cluttering up your desk, no need for a free 120v outlet, no need to worry about screen glare. This device has it all, and is even flexible enough to adapt to a wide range of environments with a wide range of bulbs. It really is an idea that was long overdue. It just is finicky to dial in and is a big reason why the ScreenBar Plus is more user-friendly.
Value: 16 out of 20
Yes spending a hundred dollars seems ludicrous when even multi-temperature LED based bulbs can be found for twenty bucks or so at Home Depot… but the fact of the matter is once you get over the asking price the BenQ ScreenBar quickly becomes a force multiplier and will allow you to work (or play) even longer without eye strain. Mix in the fact it uses basically a rounding errors worth of electricity and the BenQ ScreenBar is actually a pretty decent value given how many features BenQ has packed into such a small package.
Final Score: 83 out of 100
It certainly is quirky and there is definite room for improvement but overall the BenQ ScreenBar actually does what it promises to do: provide a light source that reduces eye strain and screen glare. With that said we would seriously think about spending an extra $25 and getting the ScreenBar Plus model which fixes some of the issues this one suffers from.
