ASUS shows off revolutionary new dual-display notebook concept

ASUS has a new concept notebook on the books, one that in fact looks like a book. The Dual Panel Concept thought up at WePC.com gives users a customizable interface depending situation. You can set both screens up to display text if you want to read a book, then quickly switch one screen to a keyboard to take notes or a touch surface to edit photos. The possibilities are endless, leaving it up to the programmer or user to find the perfect balance of function for the given application, instead of the original hardware designer. This type of all-inclusive design could mean one device could handle the functions of a netbook, tablet, E-book, media player at the touch of a button.

Currently the Dual Screen Concept is only vaporware or a small step above, but we can always hope for these types of ideas to trickle down in future models. For more concept models and other cool designs people are coming up with, checkout WePC.com.

 

Awesome.

10char

 

Nintendo DS 2, anyone? lol.

Looks great! I hope they do consider it.

 

I've got high expectations for flexible LCDs developing to the point where a notebook like this can be developed without a bezel dividing the two screens.

That's a ways off though.

More realistic though I'd like to see secondary touchscreens replace the traditional notebook touchpad.

 

The only thing I have against this is how uncomfortable it is to type on a hard surface with no give.

 

Still in development/idea land.

 

Only Asus the new apple

They have sick concepts man some of the best in the industry im still hoping to see the asus airo come to life one day.

 

Windows 7 eh?

I'd see this becoming reality as an e-book/educational tool. You know what I mean?

 

It needs a slide-out keyboard or something like that. Use it like a tablet, or slide out the keyboard and type on it.

 

I dunno.. i like old-skool physical buttons.

This would be interesting with dual eInk displays though.

 

Blah a physical keyboard adds bulk and wouldn't be revolutionary at all.

Anyway if it makes it to market it's going to have a USB port for your low-tech physical keyboard. ;þ

 

To really enjoy this thing you need to have really low expectations, even lower than a netbook. I would not expect to touch type very comfortably on this and I would not even use this as a normal laptop/computer. I would say more as an entertainment device, if that, with an optional keyboard touchscreen if you ever need to type a few words.

 

Nintendo called, they already made a bazillion dollars off of this design so they really don't care.

They called just to say that they don't care, rich snobs.

 

The easiest solution to the uncomfortable keyboard would be a silicone overlay that you can put on the bottom screen when using as keyboard.

 

mehhhhh i like it. its differnt and could be used for lots of things, custom keyboards ....nice

 

Already invented by Microsoft Research.

 

looks nice on paper, but in practice, a virtual keyboard on a notebook wouldn't really work at all. thats why the device that projects keyboard onto a flat surface didn't work. you would have to be constantly looking at what you're typing.

there are so many things that look good on paper or in concept when it comes to touch, but really fail in practicality. HP smart touch comes to mind.

 

I had this idea when I was 18. The only difference between me and Asus is the fact that they ve got the cash to make it reality. I was just daydreaming. But calling it revolutionary is a stretch. Nothing is new, its just the things that get made. I am very surprised nobody here has claimed they had dreamt of it too. I mean how much fantasy do you need to figure why not just have a touch screen instead of the keyboard. Then you can also switch layouts with visual feedback, have volume and screen brightness GUI feedback etc.

I am also drunk, but still.... ;-)

 

this would be sick with gesters. flick your hand on the screen to make the page turn. slide images up or down like a film. twist 3 fingers on the screen to rotate. pinch fingers in or out to zoom. that would destroy the kindle

 

I thought of this too on the apple-netbook rumor thread. All it needs is a blackberry type screen that has some give, and it would be freaking awesome.

Although it would draw like 2x as much power.

 

Ok, so maybe a lot of us have thought about this long ago. So what?
Ideas in our head are always over simplified, so I still believe that if they make it a reality, it's a revolutionary step forward.

It's like saying if someone one day finds a cure for cancer, it's no big accomplishment because "I thought about curing cancer when I was 5".

 

That's why no one has invented a time machine yet....because as soon as someone does you just know someone else will use it to go back in time and steal the credit.

 

No it is not, you are generalizing. One thing is hard work curing cancer after decades of man hours put into research after having thousands of scientists do their bit, and whole another thing is being called revolutionary slapping together two LCDs after every second person on the planet using computer having thought of the idea prior to you. The former is (r)evolutionary achievement, the latter is arrogance and grandeur.