Asus' New Laptop Has Two Screens and a Removable Keyboard (theverge.com) 19
Asus is back with another Zenbook Duo, the latest $2,161 device in its range of dual-screened laptops. But rather than including a small secondary display above this laptop's keyboard like previous Duos, the revamped version for 2024 has two equally sized 14-inch screens. The Verge has more: They're both OLED, with resolutions of up to 2880 x 1800, aspect ratios of 16:10, and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. Between them, they offer a total of 19.8 inches of usable screen real estate. It's a similar approach to the one Lenovo took with last year's dual-screen Yoga Book 9i, albeit with a couple of tweaks. Like Lenovo, Asus gives you a choice of typing on the lower touchscreen via a virtual keyboard or by using a detachable physical Bluetooth keyboard. But what's different here is that Asus' keyboard has a trackpad built in, so you don't have to use it in combination with an on-screen trackpad.
Asus envisages you using the new Zenbook Duo in a few different configurations. There's a standard laptop mode, where the bottom screen is entirely covered by a traditional keyboard and trackpad. Or you can rest the keyboard on your desk and have the two screens arranged vertically for "Dual Screen" mode or horizontally for "Desktop" mode. Finally, there's "Sharing" mode, which has you ditch the keyboard entirely and lay the laptop down on a flat surface with both its screens facing up and away from each other, presumably so you can share your work with a colleague sitting across the desk from you. Naturally, having launched a year later than its competitor, the Asus Zenbook Duo is also packed with more modern hardware. It can be specced with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and 32GB of RAM, up to 2TB of storage, and a 75Wh battery. Connectivity includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A port, HDMI out, and a 3.5mm jack, and the laptop can be used with Asus' stylus.
Asus envisages you using the new Zenbook Duo in a few different configurations. There's a standard laptop mode, where the bottom screen is entirely covered by a traditional keyboard and trackpad. Or you can rest the keyboard on your desk and have the two screens arranged vertically for "Dual Screen" mode or horizontally for "Desktop" mode. Finally, there's "Sharing" mode, which has you ditch the keyboard entirely and lay the laptop down on a flat surface with both its screens facing up and away from each other, presumably so you can share your work with a colleague sitting across the desk from you. Naturally, having launched a year later than its competitor, the Asus Zenbook Duo is also packed with more modern hardware. It can be specced with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and 32GB of RAM, up to 2TB of storage, and a 75Wh battery. Connectivity includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A port, HDMI out, and a 3.5mm jack, and the laptop can be used with Asus' stylus.
I like 16:10 (Score:2)
If I had two 16:10 displays I would want them in portrait orientation because they are just the right aspect ratio for a fullpage of text. For gaming I prefer 16:9 or wider. As human vision is more about scanning the horizon than looking up.
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"As human vision is more about scanning the horizon than looking up."
So all these billions of portrait videos are doing it wrong?
Re:I like 16:10 (Score:4, Informative)
Yes.
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So all these billions of portrait videos are doing it wrong?
We've been saying this for years. Portrait videos are equivalent to the worst crimes a person can commit.
But more seriously, I think there is room for artistic expression. The composition format of a portrait has existed for hundreds of years, long before cameras were invented. A painting of a person's face or bust is going to fill the canvas better in the portrait orientation. I think considering the subject helps decide the frame. On the other hand if I'm playing a game where I'm exploring a virtual world
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Also known as a "desktop" (Score:3)
Now we just need the screens a bit larger.
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Now we just need the screens a bit larger.
I have a laptop because the desktop and accompanying peripherals are just too big to lug onto a plane.
Some of us do get out of the bunker (your parents basement) every once in a while.
I have an Asus TUF gaming laptop, I bought it because every Asus I've owned has been top quality and you can replace the RAM and SSD easily, they even publish videos on how to do it. I paid £599 for the laptop then doubled the RAM and disk space for less than £100 more, finding a second M2 slot when I opened
Is it a laptop? (Score:3)
How do I put it on my lap and work. I literally sit on sofa and put my laptop on my lap and work on it. That is one of the reasons why I can't use any of those detachable keyboard configurations since the screens weigh more than the base and it will not be stable on my lap.
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I have an older model of the zenbook duo, but the question is still applicable. Simply put, you don't put it on your lap and work; that is a ridiculous question. It's not what this hardware is designed for, and it's not a valid criticism to make against it. If you want to put it on your lap and work, buy one of the models from ASUS or any other manufacturer that are designed for it. I personally recommend the 13" M2 Macbook Air.
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The keyboard it says is optional, and you can use one of the screens as a keyboard in touchscreen mode instead.
Lame ad (Score:2)
Lame ad
An actual use case for folding screens (Score:2)
Oh... so... close... (Score:3)
Now, take the "hinged screen" idea, but give us THREE panels--- a 3840x2160 center one that's at least 17.3", flanked by a pair of portrait-orientation panels that are 1680-1920 pixels wide and 2160 pixels high that fold over it like window shutters. Capable of 120hz+ FreeSync, with built-in multi-display DisplayPort hub, powered and driven by a single Thunderbolt cable.
To get more value from the development & tooling investment, take the same monitor guts, and make a second variant that puts them into a bigger enclosure with proper VESA bracket on the rear, built-in power supply, and the expected assortment of desktop monitor ports on the rear. It will instantly become the "must-have" display for anyone buying an eBlaztr mini-ITX case (and quite probably drive the creation of an entire new market segment of desktop PCs built around a similar form factor, using this monitor). Or even just people who don't necessarily need their computer "on the go", but want something they can easily lug around from one place to another every few months (think: college students going home for a month at Christmas, people taking weekend trips to a vacation home, etc).
They could also use the display to spawn an entire new family of laptops. Say, one that tries to be not particularly thick... and a second one that just says, "fuck it, it's a laptop-like desktop replacement" with case big enough for a full-on mechanical keyboard, a flex bay for either a single 3.5" hard drive or sandwich of two pairs of 2.5" hard drives side by side occupying the space of a 3.5", etc." The display could snap onto the base for convenient travel.
Bonus points if the monitor uses "double-jointed" side hinges, so you can fold the side panels flat against the back (facing rearward), either turned off to save space/power, or turned on to serve as a secondary display when doing presentations.
Very cool but I know i would break it (Score:2)
Appreciate that companies are still trying something new with the standard 40 year old laptop paradigm but damn, I feel like a light fart and something on that machine is breaking.
The reason I only buy Thinkpads is I know for a fact that computer is getting knocked to the floor at some point in my care.
There was a Thinkpad with dual-screens. (Score:4, Interesting)
Opinion (Score:2)
It's not compatible with my current desk layout, but I like it.
Working from one monitor is extremely difficult for me; I'm a habitual multi-tasker with vision-based attention. When I single screen alt-tab off to another window there's a real risk that the first window ceases to exist for minutes or hours until I stumble back across it. It's a bug in this model. A dual-screen laptop, like dual monitors, can help work around the issue.
That's nice... (Score:2)