Asus shows dual screen notebook prototype

asus-dual-screen

Asus is showing off a computer at CeBIT this week that has two screens and no hardware keyboard. Odds are one of the screens will have an on-screen software keyboard, and may or may not produce tactile feedback to give you the sense that you’re actually typing on keys.

The OLPC XO-2 netbook is supposed to have a similar dual screen layout when it’s eventually released. But it’s nice to see a company like Asus working on a commercial version. The prototype appears to be a full sized notebook, not a netbook. But eventually we could start to see this technology in more and more machines.

Personally, I have a hard time imagining inputting large amounts of text on a software keyboard. But I’ll reserve judgment until I get a chance to try one for myself.

Update: Asus just sent along some additional info and a few more images.


Posted on Monday, March 2nd, 2009, 10:17 am by Brad
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  • angryearthling
    at work we use touch screens for a pizzza system we sell. the biggest draw back and i don't see this been fixed is that you rest your hand on the keyboards. on the keys. how does it distinguish between a touch and a resting hand? would hate trying to suspecnd my hands above the keyboard as that would be asking for rsi.

    had a nokia 770 hated the onscreen keyboard on that. got an ipod. think the keyboard is worse on that as it's in portrait mode rather than landscape.

    i've typed on a lot of wacky non standard keyboards. sinclair zx spectrum, psion 3a, now an olpc plus a multitude of nokia phones. nothing is better than a keyboard with buttons. when the palms came out it was hailed as the future of inputting information. last time i looked most of the palm alikes have keyboards. touch interfaces work but they are a lot slower than a keyboard.
  • okeribok
    Really bad idea. I had a FingerWorks Touchstream for a short while and it's like tapping your fingers on the table. Just try it for an hour and then see how your fingertips feel.
  • pauli
    i don't see a laptop. i see a badass ebook reader.
  • Mikez
    Somebody needs to start shipping these things with
    an installed mind-probe.
    That way we could use our hands for something else
    while writing for publication on the 'web. ;)
  • nicfer
    One question, would be possible to see movies in both screens, in split mode? That would be the best use for this device. If you want a keyboard, just buy a external one.

    Some day there will be keyboards that can act as docks for UMPC devices and turn it into a netbook. Because that's what netbooks are, UMPCs with keyboards.
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