Asus unveils dual-screen laptop that does everything

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 3 Mar 2009 at 11:05

Asus has unveiled a new concept dual-screen PC that can be used as a laptop, multimedia machine or ebook reader.

Similar in design to OLPC's second generation XO, the concept design dispenses with a hardware keyboard to offer two touchscreens, either of which can be used to display a software keyboard, or even trackpad for those who prefer using the mouse icon over a touch interface.

Both of these would be adjustable, with the keyboard capable of being stretched across both screens should you need extra space. Obviously, users would also be able to manipulate the device through hand gestures, handwriting recognition and multi-touch.

Asus is also touting the versatility of the device itself, which could be used as a conventional laptop, or a multimedia PC with both panels combining to form a larger display for widescreen films.

The company even claims the device could be flipped vertically into an ebook reader mode, which the user would hold just like a book and interact with through simple gestures.

The device is currently firmly in concept stage though an early prototype running Windows 7 is currently being shown at CeBit. There's no word yet on when it might hit market.