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Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

• Ekaros 4y ago
  Actually seems pretty interesting one. Still, I guess the price is outside reasonable range like other foldable products at this point.
  • fstephany 4y ago
    It's listed at 3700€ on Coolblue (online shop in The Netherlands). https://www.coolblue.nl/en/product/905010/asus-zenbook-17-fold-oled-ux9702aa-md007w.html https://www.coolblue.nl/en/product/905010/asus-zenbook-17-fo...
• prmoustache 4y ago
  I want to see high-res pictures of that device after 2, 5 and 10 simulated years of use.
  • nreilly 4y ago
    I expect days/weeks is probably enough to see the wear you’re looking for.
• iasay 4y ago
  Expensive luxury land fill like all foldable displays currently are. This takes it to the extreme. I am not impressed. We should be building for sustainability at this stage of our existence and this is exactly the opposite of it. Plus it runs the worst touch based operating system on the market.
  • deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  • ekianjo 4y ago
    it comes with a keyboard.
    • iasay 4y ago
      I bought a keyboard for my iPad too. I'm not sure what your point is?
      • eklavya 4y ago
        The point is that the iPadOS is not designed to be used with a keyboard but windows is. Having a touchscreen on this laptop is a useful/useless add on and not the primary feature.
        • iasay 4y ago
          Actually iPadOS is very much designed to use a keyboard. A mouse too. Not a lot of people seem to realise that...
          • jxi 4y ago
            What makes you say that? iPadOS (or iOS) is excellent with just touch. I’ve owned iPads for years and never used it with a keyboard.
          • sz4kerto 4y ago
            (I own iOS devices and a M1 MBP.) Windows 11's window management is brilliant, nothing comes close out of the box (of course i3/sway/etc. can be customized to match it). Windows tablets as laptops are generally more usable than iPads as laptops due to stuff like multi-user support, filesystem access and much better window management. As tablets (media consumption + creative work like drawing) iPads are better. This foldable device can be a nice primary machine while an iPad can't replace a laptop for most users. Macbooks are of course fine devices, but I think folding can become a nice feature when it matures.
        • suction 4y ago
          You should catch up with the developments of iPad OS. It works very well with keyboards nowadays. Since a few years, actually.
  • tigrezno 4y ago
    I suspect that if Apple released this, this site would be cheering for it.
    • iasay 4y ago
      That's a terrible straw man. There is universal dislike for bad engineering. Butterfly keyboards and touch bar for example...
      • nottorp 4y ago
        Yep. Fuck the butterfly keyboard and touch bar. But I'll still get an Apple laptop next time I get a new device because it's the least annoying when they don't let Ive run amok.
    • monkey_monkey 4y ago
      I suspect that says more about your own innate biases than it says about the users of this site.
      • snarfy 4y ago
        It might be a small minority but there are still quite a few Apple apologists on this site. That's fandom for you. Tech is notorious for it.
        • suction 4y ago
          I bet you've heard the saying "in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" . That's what Apple is. You can be a "fan" of the one-eyed man without believing everything he makes or says is awesome.
        • monkey_monkey 4y ago
          I think most people are aware of fandoms and that some people will blindly support something, but that's very different from saying "this site would be cheering for it".
    • 4y ago
  • blocked_again 4y ago
    Sustainability issues will never be fixed by companies building for sustainability. Vast majority of the world population don't give a shit about sustainability. Consumers always want to improve their life by spending as little money as possible. This means companies are being pushed to build more efficient things. For example Electric cars can travel much longer than traditional cars for the same cost of fuel. More efficient means, less pollution. Humans will fix sustainability issues automatically. But it would never be by building products whose core service offering is sustainability.
    • piva00 4y ago
      > This means companies are being pushed to build more efficient things. No, this means companies are being pushed to build the least expensive things, efficiency is just coincidental in some cases. > Humans will fix sustainability issues automatically. That depends, if you mean "eventually" I can somewhat agree with the argument but that's just a wishful thinking thought exercise. Eventually sustainability issues will be fixed because if not everyone will eventually die from the lack of resources, doesn't mean that the fixes are timely or with the least suffering that we as a species could be capable of.
      • blocked_again 4y ago
        > No, this means companies are being pushed to build the least expensive things Least expensive literally translate to more efficeny. To build cheaper things you need to spend less on electricity for manufacturing, less on transport (fuel), less on labor etc. Which means more efficeny. > Eventually sustainability issues will be fixed because if not everyone will eventually die from the lack of resources, doesn't mean that the fixes are timely or with the least suffering that we as a species could be capable Sure. But this also assumes we are on the verge of collapsing because of sustainability issues. We don't know that. This also assumes somehow if we start pushing on sustainability now we are going to overcome that. We don't know that.
        • piva00 4y ago
          > Least expensive literally translate to more efficeny. To build cheaper things you need to spend less on electricity for manufacturing, less on transport (fuel), less on labor etc. Which means more efficeny. You are just considering the production aspect of efficiency. Cheaper is not higher quality, cheaper goods have a higher rate of failure, higher rate of failure means increased consumption which pushes production up. More efficient and cheaper production with better quality definitely falls into your argument, anything else becomes highly variable if it will translate, ultimately, to better efficiency of resource usage overall. > Sure. But this also assumes we are on the verge of collapsing because of sustainability issues. We don't know that. This also assumes somehow if we start pushing on sustainability now we are going to overcome that. We don't know that. Why on the verge? I'm using the same time-scale as you did: eventually, which in mathematical terms would mean a function with its time component using a limit approaching infinity. Eventually automatically solving sustainability because "market forces" push towards efficiency doesn't mean that we should just accept that as a rule and that it's the best course of action given that we can actively model and predict if we should and could be more efficient and sustainable. What's the argument against focusing on sustainability first? Hampering innovation and some warped sense of progress?
  • drcode 4y ago
    A device that allows me to get both a desktop-like experience as well as a notebook-like experience is more wasteful than having both a desktop and a laptop? (or a desktop dock with monitor and a laptop)
• cr3ative 4y ago
  I can't help but see folding screens as a limited-life product. Sure, laptops only last, usefully, about 6 years anyway, but it's such an obvious wear spot which would cripple the entire device. Thanks, but no thanks.
  • scrollaway 4y ago
    Isn’t the fold on current laptops a weak spot now? I’ve had laptops die to that. I get it’s tempting to say this will be worse but, will it? I don’t think it’s fair to say this immediately…
    • iasay 4y ago
      Only if you buy bottom end crap and beat it around. Lenovo / Apple hinges are pretty good. Foldable displays have several million times more parts being folded...
      • Kaibeezy 4y ago
        I just spent a pleasant hour fixing a friend's Lenovo hinge. Disassemble, cyanoacrylate adhesive, reduce hinge tension, wait/beer, reassemble. Unimaginably poor design detail and QA on the tension setting. Many of this and other Yoga models junked on account of it. Easy enough repair though.
        • iasay 4y ago
          The Yogas are ass end landfill built to a price point. You get what you pay for.
          • Kaibeezy 4y ago
            Looked like it. PEM studs into plastic and an over-tensioned hinge. What did they think was going to happen? It sure was no X220.
          • Foobar8568 4y ago
• shimonabi 4y ago
  Form over functionality.
• eterps 4y ago
  AFAIK there is absolutely no innovation with software defined keyboards, they statically mimic a physical keyboard. I would expect well defined open APIs so that applications tailor the keyboard for optimal contextualized use for that app. The only thing that came close is Apple's touchbar but even that one is quite static and not very liberating in practice. Of course the downside of adaptive software keyboards is that you have a slightly different keyboard layout per application, so mostly a feature for experienced and professional users.
  • jmiskovic 4y ago
    Adaptive keyboards are actually more oriented towards beginners than advanced users. They optimize for feature discoverability (and coolness factor). Physical keyboard is current optimum for text entry precisely because it is not adaptable, and that enables you to adapt to it. Without muscle memory you are much, much slower. When an advanced user wants to refresh page, they can instantly recall Ctrl+R combo and just press it, without glancing down and coordinating between hand and eye to tap the icon, and then verifying the tap was registered. With adaptable keyboards the advanced users lose all their edge. That said, swiping is really nice way to enter English text on touchscreens. I still hate switching to numbers and special characters, or entering non-dictionary words, but it works unexpectedly good. I agree with you that more innovation is needed.
    • eterps 4y ago
      > they can instantly recall Ctrl+R combo and just press it, without glancing down and coordinating between hand and eye to tap the icon Interesting example, I can imagine something like an Ctrl+R combo to be a bit cumbersome on a software keyboard, would need to test it to be sure though.
  • xSxY3fj5gVCmvWE 4y ago
    Touch keyboards don't sound very liberating. I think experienced/professional users will be an especially bad fit for this. Imagine having to constantly look down at the keyboard to see what contextual options are available. It's like getting a new keyboard and having to get used to a different layout, except it's forever. Say goodbye to your flow state, hope you haven't gotten used to it. That said, this laptop seems to include a physical keyboard, so maybe it's not that bad. I hope manufacturers keep experimenting with computer form factors, but preferably sane, human-centric ones.
• tluyben2 4y ago
  How does the 17 inch screen stand up? There are no pictures of it standing from the back. Maybe I overlooked it?
  • shimonabi 4y ago
    It has a small picture-frame-like stand. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us7rKu5SgUI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us7rKu5SgUI
    • Tepix 4y ago
      At 1:51 there seems to be "visual residue" from the unfolding. I wonder how long it takes to disappear.
      • CRConrad 4y ago
        > I wonder how long it takes to disappear. If ever?
• Darmody 4y ago
  I love the innovation but I don't see me buying something like this. I'd use it like a standard laptop and I think most people would do the same. And then you have all the possible screen problems. We've seen it happening with phones and I wouldn't like paying a considerable sum of money for something that will break easily if I look at it the wrong way. Gives us connectivity, good screen, power and autonomy. Leave the weird designs, they remind me of the mobile phone era before the iPhone.
• TekMol 4y ago
  Fold or not, what I want for a laptop is: A tablet with a matte screen. That can run Linux. So I can put it on a stand and a keyboard in front of it. That would be the ultimate travel setup! Working in cafes without having to look down all the time. Does something like this exist?
  • pjmlp 4y ago
    Most likely only if packaged in ChromeOS or Android workloads, which isn't what you're asking for, but is what OEMs care about after the netbooks market vanished.
  • nixcraft 4y ago
    Older Asus fold had many issues with Linux. In most cases, you can get headless mode working but forget about GUI. A better solution would be trying out System76, HPDevOne or Dell XPS dev edition for Linux desktop.
    • sjamaan 4y ago
      The Purism Librem 14 isn't half bad either. Currently using it. Love the build quality of the case, matte screen and kill switches. Quality of the built-in speakers is not that great. Keyboard is acceptable. The trackpad is nice and big.
  • Dave3of5 4y ago
    If you don't mind selling your soul to the devil, dell have a range that support linux. A newer brand that will run linux is the framework laptop that's my personal recommendation. As for the matte screen you can buy films for both of those that will make the screen matte. Here is the ones for the framework: https://viascreens.com/screen-protectors/framework/ https://viascreens.com/screen-protectors/framework/ You should note that mat screens generally sacrifice contrast and colour saturation. I suspect you won't be happy with any of this though as most hn commenters are extremely picky about these sorts of things.
  • spaceman_2020 4y ago
    Just get a Thinkpad. They have all the features you want. They're not going to be as thing and light, but their keyboards are better than anything out there. The touchpad is iffy, but if you're using Linux (I use it too), your touchpad experience is going to be subpar anyway.
• silon42 4y ago
  Give me a proper mechanical full-size-keys keyboard laptop instead (TKL please).
  • rgoulter 4y ago
    My solution when traveling was to rest the keyboard on a bit of acrylic over the keyboard. https://www.instagram.com/p/CZRltWhpA6x/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CZRltWhpA6x/ (I didn't like the idea of resting an external keyboard on the laptop's keyboard directly).
• tdiff 4y ago
  The next greatest innovation would be a self-cleaning display.
• k__ 4y ago
  That's the first time I see foldable displays put to good use. Nice!
  • april_22 4y ago
    Lenovo also had a similar laptop released a year ago. This one is still really cool though!
• bluescrn 4y ago
  How many folds before it's e-waste? I'm guessing that even the battery will outlive early-generation folding screens.
  • Tepix 4y ago
    >30,000 alledgedly
    • bluescrn 4y ago
      30k folds with forces applied optimally by a test rig, no clumsy humans involved?
      • jsheard 4y ago
        The official numbers will be from an optimal test rig, but someone did do a more "realistic" folding screen test recently by flipping a Flip3 manually until it died. Samsung rates it for 200,000 folds, and it lasted 418,500 folds before the hinge failed, with the screen actually still working. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k86vsQEDKlg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k86vsQEDKlg
• jfoster 4y ago
  Looks fancy. Is this what the market wants? I don't particularly like Apple, but I use a Macbook Pro. I've been keeping an eye out for a non-Apple alternative to a Macbook, but nothing seems to come close in terms of hardware. I don't mean technical specs. I mean a beautiful screen, reasonable dimensions & weight, a really good touchpad, great battery life, etc. A big foldable screen looks cool, but doesn't feel at all pragmatic. Could someone please compete with Apple?
  • pelagicAustral 4y ago
    Looks very niche to me as well. But I can already see it might well be the most ideal laptop for presentations, given you could preview slides on one half and keep keynotes on the ‘keyboard’ half.... I can see myself enjoying using something like this for such purpose.
  • newaccount2021 4y ago
  • iasay 4y ago
    The reason that there is no non-Apple alternatives to the MacBook Pro is because everyone is too focused on blue sky innovation rather than actually doing the best job of stuff that already exists. Quality is the feature that apple sell. I don't think anyone else gets near them.
    • saiya-jin 4y ago
      Selective quality. There were most-expensive-on-the-market-yet-worst-quality fraying cables that my 1$ usb cables from aliexpress could run circles around long after those were discarded (or not, my mother-in-law still carries one around, I guess to remind everyone how crappy engineering looks like). Bending phones (was it 6?). Also some nefarious moves like slowing down older phones. Every manufacturer has these blops. Yet very few (more like none) have such fanatical crowd of followers who uncritically accept everything and keep peddling the same 'apple is quality, above others, better than google on privacy' and similar wishful thinking/lies. They just have better PR department is all I see, the rest is just another HW/SW company who charge premium. Its nothing new, other businesses figured this long ago. You can have a normal decent handbag, or have louis vuitton / hermes one. It will cost you 10x (or 100x) more. Its often hand-made quality. Many women love them. Most guys are looking on this in same way we would look on... mentally underdeveloped. Yet the market exists and its booming. And nobody is arguing Hermes doesn't bring higher quality than regular brand. Coming back to your claims, apple rarely truly innovates these days and technologically its behind most manufacturers (low res cameras producing pleasing but over-processed pics that have colors far from reality, battery charging on level of basic 2016 phones, screen is OK but definitely not top of the market, bluetooth implementation is beyond pathetic for such a manufacturer, literally everybody on the market has it better). They take over others ideas that work and improve them. Which is fine but not the stellar behavior I would expect from 3TN company having 1 centerpiece product.
• byteflip 4y ago
  I’m unlikely to buy a foldable laptop, but a foldable monitor while traveling sounds kinda nice. I’m working from a hotel right now, so I can easily imagine it. Folding flat would offer protection from scratches in a bag/backpack and take less space. Would be hard pressed to fit a 17” portable monitor in my bag, but if it folds in half that’s more tenable!
  • darkteflon 4y ago
    Slightly incidental, but after years of working out of hotel rooms, I’ve found that a 15.6” 4K portable display placed on a small tripod (Arca-Swiss mount) sitting directly above the main display of my 14” Macbook has been the perfect travel setup. It’s a dual-display setup, portable (similar area to the computer itself), similar desktop area and font resolution to the native panel, and prevents you from craning your neck.
    • tokamak-teapot 4y ago
      Mind sharing which one you have please? I’d like to drop one in my laptop bag sometimes.
      • Bayart 4y ago
        Uperfect makes 4K ones. AFAIK Asus only goes to 1080p.
      • Lio 4y ago
        I'm not the person you're asking but as Asus already make a range of portable monitors you could try one them: https://www.asus.com/Displays-Desktops/Monitors/ZenScreen/ https://www.asus.com/Displays-Desktops/Monitors/ZenScreen/
        • WaitWaitWha 4y ago
          I have two Asus ZenScreen Go MB16AHP. Comes with built in battery and a bunch of other great features. For me, both of them stopped charging and refused to work right after warranty ran out. Now they are sitting on my shelf waiting to be cannibalized. I very much enjoyed these screens. They were response, relatively light, fit into the bag, and with their own battery, I could chug along for hours without issue. Oh the joys of getting ready for meetings in airport lounges! So, Asus portable monitors for me were great design, not so good implementation.
• wslh 4y ago
  Nice system but it is ironic that nowadays many people are moving to Apple Silicon just for the battery. Beyond the better specs like touch screens, cameras resolution, etc. Going back in time I just now recognize and remember that one key aspect of the Palm original devices was battery duration comparing to previous experience (e.g. Newton) in innovations.
  • varispeed 4y ago
    For me the battery was the least of concern - I am used to having my laptop plugged at all times. Any laptop I had wouldn't last more than an hour on battery after few months of use. The selling point for me was silent operation and performance. For instance, my XPS 15 will wake up fans even after entering the BIOS and just opening a browser tab with a heavier website would make them fans spin like airplane blades. It's so annoying that I dread everytime I have to work on it. Yes, I would clean the fans regularly etc. Working on a Mac M1 is a pure bliss. It feels next level in every aspect and the battery life is outstanding. The fact that I can run the laptop in low power mode and it is still much more performant than my XPS is mindblowing.
• deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
• galogon 4y ago
  Apple Silicon killed Windows laptops. Why go back to loud fans and so much worse battery life?
  • quickthrower2 4y ago
    Loud fans? Not heard one of those for years on a Windows laptop.
• Lio 4y ago
  I'd be really excited if they offer this as part of their ZenScreen portable monitor range. They seem to be currently mostly 1080p but a folding 17" or larger HiDPI screen for an existing laptop would be brilliant. I generally like smaller laptops like the MacBook Air or XPS 13. I could see me using a tri-fold ZenScreen in hotel room and then just the laptop on a plane/train tray table. https://www.asus.com/Displays-Desktops/Monitors/ZenScreen/ https://www.asus.com/Displays-Desktops/Monitors/ZenScreen/
  • ddalex 4y ago
    I've been pitching for a while hinged screens, like double laptop screen that unfolds a second same-size screen above the first. The fold seems like a nice touch, if this would come as a separate portable monitor I'd buy it in a pinch.
  • Terretta 4y ago
    > smaller laptops like the Macbook Air iPad Pro 12.9” as external second hidpi/retina monitor for Macbook is remarkable in three modes - USB-C to USB-C for all day powered zero latency extended desktop - WiFi for cable free extended desktop - keyboard mouse sharing (by pushing your Macbook cursor against the side of your laptop screen by the iPad, till it “pops” onto the iPad) for seamlessly running Macbook apps and iPad apps side by side using your main keyboard/mouse, able to not just cut and paste but drag and drop (!!!) between the two devices and OSes. And then just the iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard (and its trackpad) on the plane/train tray table (hinge design sets the screen in from the hinge, allowing use in shallower depths like the tray tables).
    • breakfastduck 4y ago
      Also considerably more expensive than a monitor.
      • sudosysgen 4y ago
        And considerably worse in every way, especially compared to modern OLEDs and high refresh rate LCDs.
• Kaibeezy 4y ago
  No pricing yet. Guesses out there from $1599 to £2000 to $3999.
  • drcode 4y ago
    It's already available for preorder in France at 3999 Euros I'm guesstimating $2999 in the US
• newaccount2021 4y ago
• suction 4y ago
  As with most Asia-led "novelty" features on electronic devices, this looks like a "because we can" feature rather than a "because it's useful" feature.
• deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
• rowanG077 4y ago
  Honestly I don't get the hate. I would love this form factor. I used a Surface Pro for years and loved it. This looks to be superiour in every way.
• Hippocrates 4y ago
  It blows my mind that companies have the resources to sink into "innovations" like this that are just so far out that they are sure to fail. The mere sight of this stresses me out with how fragile it looks, and how clumsy it would be to use
  • quickthrower2 4y ago
    How did that foldable phone craze a few years ago go? Are they still around?
    • rowanG077 4y ago
      Ya they are still around. Getting steadily less expensive.
    • asdajksah2123 4y ago
      Not just around, but growing rapidly. https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2022-mar/omdia-foldable-smartphone-market-experiences-309-year-over-year-growth-in-2021 https://omdia.tech.informa.com/pr/2022-mar/omdia-foldable-sm...
    • user_named 4y ago
      It's still going. I remember I t ied one in person, felt like a layer of tape on top of two displays.
      • flatiron 4y ago
        IIRC the first thing people did with those phones is rip the “tape” off just to realize their phone was now broken.
        • GekkePrutser 4y ago
          That was just the first Galaxy fold. On the later ones you can safely remove the screenprotector
    • 4y ago
• varispeed 4y ago
  I really didn't want to do this, but I bit the bullet and bought M1 MacBook Pro. Oh, having previously worked on XPS 15, this laptop is like next level in terms of pretty much everything. I feel like manufacturers putting Intel or (to an extent) AMD processor in any laptop just waste their time. Sure there will be people who will buy it (who don't know about M1/M2), but it's like buying a legacy technology for premium price. So while the folding screen looks impressive, I can't help but think it is just an expensive gimmick. Rather than churning very much the same laptops year on year I wish manufacturers spent some time on designing a new CPU if Intel and AMD can't keep up or trying to license the CPU tech from Apple.
  • viraptor 4y ago
    You're comparing an (I'm guessing) few years old xps that needed replacing, to a last year's premium quality/pricing laptop. I know Intel is still behind on efficiency, but you should try a 12th gen with p/e cores before you write the whole thing off as legacy. Also I'm not sure apple wants to license anything - they're doing quite well keeping the design to themselves.
    • varispeed 4y ago
      I had a couple of generations of XPS and I am not convinced it will be much different. I watched a few comparison videos on YT and there was no contest. Laptop would have to be constantly plugged to achieve similar performance to M1 and the fans... the fans is a deal breaker for me. Intel is far far behind now, even with the 12th gen.
  • hu3 4y ago
    Problem with Apple computers is their software. Hardware is great though. Until it can run Linux smoothly it will be undesirable for me.
• deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
• j3th9n 4y ago
  <insert but why meme>
• preisschild 4y ago
  I'd just wish for an arm64 laptop that isn't made by Apple. Software development is getting more and more relevant on arm, and using native tools is way better than cross-compiling. OLED is pretty cool though.
  • candiddevmike 4y ago
    Pinebook Pro meets your criteria but I think you'd find it too slow. So you want an arm64 laptop that's also fast and with a decent amount of memory. I wonder if we're at the point yet where I can use my phone with a foldable screen and keyboard as a workstation.
    • piaste 4y ago
      Didn't Samsung use to sell a docking station for phones? Whatever happened to it? With so much applications moving to the web (eg. gitpod), even an Android phone would make for a suitable desktop.
  • vips7L 4y ago
    Lenovo just launched the Thinkpad X13s with an ARM CPU. My only issue with it is that it's fanless: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadx/thinkpad-x13s-(13-inch-snapdragon)/len101t0019 https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadx/th...
    • jeroenhd 4y ago
      Sadly, Qualcom's performance is still laughable compared to Apple's M1. You can get a Macbook air for around the same price that runs twice as fast (and probably has better speakers). If you intend to run Windows, you'll also run into slower x64 applications more often than with a Mac. I'm really not sure what the advantage would be for picking a Qualcom processor over getting an i3 or lower end AMD APU. Someone really needs to step up ARM processor design because no matter how much I detest Apple's business practices, I can't deny that their ARM chip is far superior to the rest of the market.
• ccbccccbbcccbb 4y ago
  Planned obsolescence presented as a feature.
  • ccbccccbbcccbb 4y ago
    Downvoters must have some skin in the game) Dislike it or not, no material will endure getting bent 180° at a radius this small many times a day without developing some sort of visible artifacts, let alone with the layer of light-emitting components embedded in it.
• jacquesm 4y ago
  The responses to this are more interesting than the device itself. It's innovative, it's done by a brand that has a reasonable reputation for reliability and for standing behind their products and it may well fit a niche. Innovation is always going to be risky, and Asus stands to lose some of their credibility if the device does not hold up over time. So I'll be more than happy to let them do their thing. As for sustainability: all electronics that contain rechargeable batteries are in principle not sustainable and we all have one or more of those devices. Let the person who has never used a portable battery powered device cast the phirst phone.
  • croes 4y ago
    Is it really an innovation? If I look at foldable S smartphones then this is like a bigger version with an external keyboard.
    • luismedel 4y ago
      Why not? Was the iPad an innovation or a bigger iPhone/iPod touch?
      • croes 4y ago
        I don't count an iPad as an innovation. It is just a bigger iPhone.
    • jacquesm 4y ago
      Is there a similar device on the market right now? A 'bigger version' by two orders of magnitude surface wise certainly seems innovative to me, I'm not aware of another company risking their reputation on something like this at present but I'll be happy to be corrected. There was an intel proof-of-concept but I'm not aware of anything that was actually available to the public. Keep in mind that what looks trivial to you ('just a bigger version') may require an enormous amount of engineering to make it reliable enough for mass consumption.
      • thereddaikon 4y ago
• martijn_himself 4y ago
  I don't really get the appeal of folding screens, but then I didn't get the appeal of iPads when it was announced. One thing I would love is an iPhone / iPad that docks and dual boots into macOS powering a monitor- surely that should be technically possible by now.
  • sumedh 4y ago
    > but then I didn't get the appeal of iPads when announced. Let me guess you dont have kids.
    • ChuckNorris89 4y ago
      Not parent and I don't have kids but if I did, there's no way I'm giving them an ipad. They can have coloring books, crayons, Legos and building blocks, doll houses, physical plastic, wooden and plush toys, restricted access to PCs/consoles, but no portable smart devices with screens, online connection and spyware apps. By kids I'm talking about pre-teens. They can get smart devices when they're teenagers.
      • lwhi 4y ago
        From knowing parents, I'd be willing to bet you'd eventually change your mind ..
      • sumedh 4y ago
        There are some things which you should not answer unless you have experienced it yourself. Having kids is one of them. All your activity sounds good on paper but real life does not work like that. Kids are smart, they can see you are on your smart device, they can see others are on their phones/ipads when they go outside. You dont want your kid to be a social outcast. Sometimes when you want to do your chores or want some quiet time for yourself the best solution is to give your kids an ipad so that they remain busy.
        • dest 4y ago
          Parent of three, eldest is 8. For quiet time, she reads a book. No screens, no smart devices.
• resoluteteeth 4y ago
  Using a touch screen as a keyboard when it's folded in laptop mode just looks painful. If the technical issues could be ironed out, folding phones would seem to make a lot of sense theoretically since it would be great a device that's small in your pocket but has more screen real estate when you're using, but this device doesn't seem like it would be that pleasant to use even if it worked perfectly.
• Sholmesy 4y ago
  Review from Dave2D 4 months ago, addresses the crease & hinge on a pre-production unit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFGhvYLbBRE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFGhvYLbBRE I think it seems like a cool idea, 17" at 4:3 ratio is alot of screen real estate, at a 12.5" 16:9 footprint. Lot of negativity in this comment section, personally not something I'm that interested in, but I am interested in people experimenting with the form factor.
  • sneak 4y ago
    It’s only 2560 by 1920.
    • sovnade 4y ago
      is that not enough for a 17"? I don't have that many on my 27" desktop monitors and it's totally fine.
    • entropicdrifter 4y ago
      Raw resolution matters a lot less than PPI and contrast/color quality, IMO
      • solarkraft 4y ago
        On a phone yes, on a "desktop" OS losing resolution often also means being able to display less stuff.
        • sudosysgen 4y ago
          In 2022 scaling mostly works.
          • andai 4y ago
            I have a 4K screen with Windows 10. Some apps look great, some have really blurry text, some have really tiny UIs (or a comical mix of tiny and normal sized). This last category includes much of Windows' own UI...
• remram 4y ago
  I would buy a laptop with two separate screens that unfold. I need the extra space to show more windows, not bigger windows, so I wouldn't mind them being separate panels. With different sizes even. edit: Maybe I should just buy a portable monitor.
• skilled 4y ago
  Now I am genuinely curious why I have the psychological impulse to immediately think to myself "disaster" whenever I see one of these folding screens. I guess I have Samsung to thank for that. And I doubt I am alone in this sentiment. Good on Asus for making bold moves. I've got one of their laptops as my primary machine for the last couple of years and it has been as reliable as the best of them.
  • drcode 4y ago
    My samsung fold3 screen is as good as new one year later, surprisingly.
• noobermin 4y ago
  I think the only thing about foldable screens is eventually the crease does not iron out and is part of the screen permanently, meaning likely you'll have to live with the crease eventually. I've seen many Samsung foldable screens that are display units at the store, that crease is pretty worn out after a few months to a year.
  • falcor84 4y ago
    I'd be interested in official mean-time-to-crease stats. If it's indeed a year, I think it's still very worthwhile. Also, would it be economic to replace the panel after it creases?
    • viraptor 4y ago
      Another interesting point is - does the smartphone experience translate to the laptops. We usually open the phone tens of times a day. The laptop screen will get much less movement.
• pnut 4y ago
  I find this potentially intriguing for my use case, which is 95% working from home in a fixed office arrangement. Under those circumstances, if this can drive two external monitors, I could have the best of both worlds- a big third monitor for my primary work situation, but then it's the same device but mobile when I need to go into the office etc.
  • happyopossum 4y ago
    > a big third monitor In what sense is a 17" monitor "big"? It's barely any larger than a lot of regular laptop screens.
• notacoward 4y ago
  I would love something like this if it used a real hinge or a slide instead of a folding screen. Best of all IMO would be a three part screen (two hinges/slides) with a 1:2:1 ratio so that the line - which can be small with modern bezel-less design but still present - won't be in the middle. That makes it usable for games etc. as well as many tiled terminal/editor windows. Innovation is great and all, kudos to them for trying this, but validating the UX aspects separately from the base display technology seems worthwhile.
• belter 4y ago
  I though OLED burn-in was still a real issue? "How real is risk of OLED burn in?": https://www.reddit.com/r/4kTV/comments/r0l7cj/how_real_is_risk_of_oled_burn_in/ https://www.reddit.com/r/4kTV/comments/r0l7cj/how_real_is_ri... "Being an Early Adopter SUCKS - Trying to Fix Burn-in on my LG CX": https://youtu.be/hWrFEU_605g https://youtu.be/hWrFEU_605g
  • ornornor 4y ago
    I’ve had an OLED tv from Panasonic that I used quite extensively for the last 3 years and there is absolutely no burn in whatsoever on it. I was worried about it when I got it but loved how black the backs are so I bought it anyway. No regrets. I remember a renowned panels review site doing extensive tests on each and it basically took them two years of full brightness always on torture to have burnin on the tv stations markee and around the presenters face. They really overdid it and so I decided it’s not a realistic risk for my usage.
    • april_22 4y ago
      Yes they have improved the panels so much the past couple of years. The blacks are just so amazing on OLEDs!
    • belter 4y ago
      Do you use it with a computer?
      • nottorp 4y ago
        How about a console? There's the menu screen with no moving pictures, and I have the habit of leaving games paused for extended periods while i get on with life. That worries me should i get an OLED.
        • belter 4y ago
          "OLED burn-in: should you be worried about it? And how can you prevent it?" (2021): https://www.whathifi.com/advice/oled-burn-in-should-you-be-worried-about-it-and-how-can-you-prevent-it https://www.whathifi.com/advice/oled-burn-in-should-you-be-w... "...while technological improvements mean OLED burn in (often called image retention by manufacturers because that sounds less scary) is less likely to hit an OLED TV than it used to be, the actions of the manufacturers themselves prove that the issue hasn’t completely gone away..." "...It’s pretty obvious from both the messaging of OLED TV manufacturers about screen burn and the extreme lengths they go to to combat it that nobody who buys an OLED TV can yet afford to completely ignore the issue. That said, all the latest evidence suggests that – for most ‘regular’ TV users, at least – the issue is now much less likely to appear than it used to be..."
• RektBoy 4y ago
  Who TF needs this? And how much is the repair?
• can16358p 4y ago
  But what is the software support for the folding screen? The hardware is cool and assuming it doesn't break in a few months, I see the lack of much software support as the biggesr adoption roadblocker. I don't think just treating it as one big screen or two/three separate screens without any more context would be enough.
  • tootie 4y ago
    I don't see why not. I don't think it folds to arbitrary configurations. It will just toggle between two different rectangles. Modern PCs handle plugging and unplugging external monitors no problem
    • can16358p 4y ago
      It's about the context. Modern PCs have an external monitor in addition to the main one just to extend the area. This one, because of its placement especially in the semi-folded form, would unlikely to be used just like a normal display, because of their position and rotation relative to the user, that one sees in front of their eyes, so additional software measures would be needed to make use of that space efficiently to, say (making it up), keep app windows on the main area but move shortcuts, desktop items, widgets to the bottom area etc.
  • nicbou 4y ago
    Considering that Windows struggles to reliably support bog standard laptops, I wouldn't add another layer of potential bugs.
• chadlavi 4y ago
  Can't wait til everyone gets this foldable screen nonsense out of their system. It's all destined for a tech oddities display in a museum.
  • viraptor 4y ago
    I think there's a good user story for it. I'm normally working at home (folded, docked), in the car/train (small laptop), or in a room away from home (full size). I don't have experience with large foldables, but I'm theory this is a perfect form for me - and I love large screens (already carrying a 15.5) I'm also likely to keep it folded at home for weeks, so the hinge durability would be less of an issue.
• londons_explore 4y ago
  I don't feel like I can really comment on this till I've tried it. It's too different from other devices.
• canbus 4y ago
  What problem do folding screens actually solve?
  • alt227 4y ago
    Wanting a bigger screen but not having enough space to transport or store it.
  • ccbccccbbcccbb 4y ago
    The problem of service life being too long, which brings profits down.
  • drcode 4y ago
    desktop-like at home, notebook-like when at coffee shop
• bluelightning2k 4y ago
  This looks really cool. Imagine if Apple had released this. Even the software stuff is genuinely very interesting: use a tablet and phone as external screens when I'm travelling? Smart background noise reduction? Yes please!
• parski 4y ago
  Oh my god. A 4:3 OLED panel? My dreams coming true!
• chmod775 4y ago
  I found this sentence to be hilarious: > The color-accurate 2.5K slim-bezel NanoEdge Dolby Vision screen is also PANTONE® Validated with TÜV Rheinland-certified low blue-light levels. It's the second sentence on the page, prominently at the top. Do they expect the average consumer knows what any of that means? There's more made up marketing BS there than English.
  • CRConrad 4y ago
    > There's more made up marketing BS there than English. Just because you don't know what TÜV Rheinland is doesn't make it "marketing BS". Imagine, shock horror, not everything in the world that's relevant to a lot of people has to be in English.
    • chmod775 4y ago
      I'm German. I'm still filing it under marketing BS. Sue me.
      • CRConrad 4y ago
        Klar, bei welchem Gericht?
  • ballenf 4y ago
    They're counting on their target market to feel superior to others by knowing (or pretending to know) and thus being more likely purchase. These statements also give purchasers psychological cover for spending an exorbitant amount. This is not some overpriced pedestrian device.
  • ansgri 4y ago
    Unfortunately this proprietary marketing-speak BS makes it easy to sell to creative professionals and those who care about color, and does signal somewhat well-defined properties. DolbyVision works well if you have the proprietary stack (it's the format newer iPhones shoot HDR videos in -- and even DaVinci Resolve didn't support it last I checked), and PANTONE does reasonably solve the important problem of color matching.
• mandeepj 4y ago
  Great idea! A lot of people still WFH, I guess its adoption would take some time to take off, if that was not case. Of course, it all depends if the product itself takes on the positive trajectory.
  • drcode 4y ago
    WFH people are exactly the people who need a desktop-like computer for 80% of the time, then a laptop for 20% of the time (when they have to swing by the office or want to work out of a coffee shop) In other words, this device is the PERFECT device for WFH
• Multicomp 4y ago
  I've been wanting a Microsoft Courier since they first did that concept video - I'm getting one of these Asus ones even if it is very early days. This Asus has a better setup than the X1 fold, I've saved up the cash, I want one. The current ultimate OneNote device!
• jmartrican 4y ago
  I'm a programmer that spends a lot of time programming on my laptop without an extra screen. I use 15" laptops exclusively because it has a decent balance between screen size and portability. But when coding (and a lot of coding is done over Zoom where folks with bigger screens are sharing their desktops) every little bit of real-estate counts. So the idea of having a 17" in a more portable form factor, and weight is very intriguing. Like its crazy to think a 17" laptop can be under 4 lbs (3.3 lbs to be exact).
  • samstave 4y ago
    I HIGHLY recommend you grab a couple of these: AOC USB Screens [0]. They are cheap, LIGHT, and great. I have two of them with my also 15" Omen laptop.[1] So I have a full size gaming/workstation machine, and TWO external screens, at 1920 while the machine is 2500 resolution... and ALL of this fits in my backpack. and is super light. [0] https://www.amazon.com/AOC-I1659FWUX-USB-Powered-Portable-1920x1080/dp/B07LCS4HHR/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3CSWTNRHW4RHP&keywords=AOC+usb+screen&qid=1659713084&sprefix=aoc+usb+screen%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-6 https://www.amazon.com/AOC-I1659FWUX-USB-Powered-Portable-19... [1] https://i.imgur.com/MJNWvif.jpg https://i.imgur.com/MJNWvif.jpg (Also, I am designing a bracket using the VESA mount screws on the back of the screens to attach them to the small camera tripods I have which are also very light and fit in backpack - this way, I can mount one screen behind the laptop, and have that screen directly above my laptop screen, and then another to the side.)
  • Ayesh 4y ago
    If it's pair programming or collaborative programming you are after, I'd suggest Code With Me on latest Jetbrains IDEs. The code is E2E encrypted over Jetbrains servers, or you can even self-host. Makes presentations, lessons a breeze too.
• 65 4y ago
  Needless complexity, similar to folding phones no one found a use for. It makes for really great YouTube tech content but is mostly just a direct downgrade in everyday usability.
• CivBase 4y ago
  As a replacement for my laptop, I hate this. But as an auxiliary tablet, this is much more interesting. If I had a good use case for a tablet, a folding one that runs Windows sounds much more appealing than a flat tablet running Android or iPadOS. My biggest complaint is that I see no indication that this could accept a video input and double as a portable display. If it did that, I would start to consider something like this for myself even without an obvious use case for a tablet.
• fleddr 4y ago
  Admittedly, An interesting idea for the very mobile user. As for mainstream usage, horrible in my view. A 12.5" laptop, who works on this? Ants? Even the "full fledged" desktop experience is 17". A size I considered too tiny for ergonomic work 2 decades ago. Windows in touch mode...meh. Given that it's main value is in ultra mobile use, it's weird to flex all kinds of gimmicky features like audio. As if it's some kind of "creator" laptop, which it isn't. It's typical of Asus, a showcase laptop throwing lots of stuff at the wall.
• ge96 4y ago
  This is something I'd always thought about eg. "why not have both halves be screens". Now here it is. Will be interesting how it's like typing on a piece of glass, we do it on a phone. I'll try it one day but that'll be when they're not $2K each or whatever price. Which I don't buy brand new laptops or $1K phones to begin with so nothing against this in particular. Although I imagine buying something like this used is probably not a good idea. (wear tear)
• gwbas1c 4y ago
  Where do I buy it?
  • drcode 4y ago
    August 31st you'll be able to order online
• bbertelsen 4y ago
  For me personally, this is exactly what I want. On days where I have meetings. It's a tablet for note taking. On days where I'm studying, it's a PDF reader either in 12.5" mode or 17" mode depending on the symbols. On days where I'm coding I would probably pair this with a g915 tlk and a second 15" portable monitor. That's a very reasonable workstation in a bag and wouldn't be heavy at all. The flexibility to be different types of devices in just one laptop is excellent. Where do I buy it?
• seltzered_ 4y ago
  I run a subreddit on ergonomic mobile computers ( https://reddit.com/r/ergomobilecomputers https://reddit.com/r/ergomobilecomputers ) and find this intriguing. Aside from concerns about the folding display, the keyboard is wireless and detachable unlike a Microsoft surface, so you can actually put the display on a stand and not worry about craning your neck down - all with the stock keyboard. In my setup I actually have the screen close up such that I no longer need to wear eyeglasses when at the computer anymore.
  • samstave 4y ago
    Ive used the foldable oled samsung phone a few times, and I REALLY like foldable OLEDs -- No idea how long they will hold up (how many folds between noticing the wear on the screen in that area, pixel failures (do OLEDs have pixels/failure of pixels?) But what will be dope is seeing these in kiosk like control panels in series, like this https://i.imgur.com/4n0Rld8.jpg https://i.imgur.com/4n0Rld8.jpg I like these... I wonder if we can have an "Environmental Impact" Rating on consumer electronics these days.
• gorgoiler 4y ago
  This could be such an enormous game changing format. What an exciting time this is. For me, the idea of being able to lift up the keyboard and reveal a second screen is just crazy exciting. Fluidity in format feels like the next great leap in mobile computing. To that end, I wonder we haven’t yet seen devices without multiple detachable wireless screens? I would love to detach a screen off the back of my MacBook — when I had space to — and have an impromptu second display.
• hyperpallium2 4y ago
  Folding, glasses or projection seem the only ways to smaller yet bigger. On a folding phone, I found the hinge is noticable on a blank screen - but not when watching a video. Not sure how it will go with a terminal, but if a window doesn't cross the hinge, would it matter?
• taf2 4y ago
  at least according to all the Asus laptop fixes from https://northridgefix.com/ https://northridgefix.com/ - these are probably pretty unreliable laptops... like probably a capacitor will fail causing a short that prevents the laptop from charging after less than a year...
  • taf2 4y ago
    here's a good example of an Asus laptop charging issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4_SzzorYn4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4_SzzorYn4
• a-saleh 4y ago
  This looks very simmilar to the thinkpad one. And I can't seem to find the price?
  • drcode 4y ago
    It's sorta different in that the thinkpad one is portable even unfolded, but then becomes ultraportable when folded This one is much bigger, making it completely unportable unfolded and only portable when folded.
    • a-saleh 4y ago
      Aha, the keyboard made me thing they are simmilar size, but you are of course right!
• quickaskq 4y ago
  This reminds me… what ever happened to Microsoft’s Surface Neo? This is a very similar idea, especially with the external keyboard
• hombre_fatal 4y ago
  Folding tech for phones wasn't quite as interesting, just a small cherry on top of something we already accommodate. Fine. But folding tech for 17" screens is amazing because of how massive those screens are. They are completely unwieldy in the normal unfolding form factor, unlikely to fit in your backpack.
  • happyopossum 4y ago
    > They are completely unwieldy in the normal unfolding form factor, unlikely to fit in your backpack. 50k 16" MacBook users at my company would disagree with you...
    • hombre_fatal 4y ago
      I have a 16" MacBook too, but an extra inch of diagonal (and anything bigger than that) is surprisingly bigger and gets unwieldy fast. I wouldn't be surprised if 16" is the biggest you can bring to market that hits enough trade-offs for people to buy it. Plenty of people think that's too big. My point is it will be interesting to see if good folding tech, by changing the nature of these trade-offs, can open up the market for larger laptop screens.
• michaelsalim 4y ago
  This is really exciting. Being able to fold will make it so much easier to carry around. My dream is to have a 24 or even a 27 inch monitor that you can fit in an every day backpack. I don't really care that it's also a laptop. Heck, I don't get why you would ever want a foldable phone. But foldable monitor at this size makes a lot of difference in packing. At 17 inch, it's not the biggest difference since you can still fit that in a backpack. 24 inch? Good luck. But I'd imagine the size to increase over time. Surprised nobody is talking more about this.
  • coconut08 4y ago
    does this double as a monitor? i might have missed it but it didn't say anything about that.
  • dheera 4y ago
    I wonder if it would have a crease in the middle over a long time. I've seen people with folding phones, they look cool at first but after 6 months they look like shit.
  • drcode 4y ago
    > I don't get why you would ever want a foldable phone. I like having what is essentially an iPad in my pocket at all times (insofar as an Android tablet is an iPad)
• asdfags 4y ago
  meme tech
• lxe 4y ago
  Why isn't resolution front and center? Oh it's because it's "Up to 2.5K (2560 by 1920)", so still stuck in 2007.
  • sovnade 4y ago
    2560x1920 for a 17" screen is perfectly fine. It's about on par with modern macbooks.
    • happyopossum 4y ago
      Err, a 16" MBP has a 3456x2234 screen. That's not on par.
  • coconut08 4y ago
    dude thinkpads were being sold with LESS THAN 1080p screens all the way up through the mid 2010's. to this very day 1080p displays make up MORE THAN 50 percent of the steam hardware survey. resolutions that are higher than 1440p on that survey make up less than 10 percent. you are so wrong that it isn't even funny.
• bee_rider 4y ago
  Ah, I got one of their Flips around the beginning of the year, wish I'd waited as this looks really cool. Wonder how the Linux support will be. The Flip has decent Linux hardware, as far as I can think of, every feature is working other than their useless numpad-on-trackpad thing (which I didn't even bother looking into).
• crakhamster01 4y ago
  Pretty cool tech, but from the Dave2D video, the crease + bulkiness is still bad enough to be a dealbreaker for me (and I imagine many others as well). I find it interesting that companies like Asus, Samsung, etc. frequently put out these devices that feature emerging tech, but clearly aren't ready for primetime. You would never catch Apple releasing something like this since they have brand value to protect, but Asus seems to be fine risking that in order to claim the title of "first to market". One day this tech will be ready for the masses, and I imagine that's when Apple will release something. Why are companies like Asus spending money on marketing that "warms up" the general audience to this tech, only to have Apple come eat their lunch a few years later?
  • colinmhayes 4y ago
    Apple released that butterfly keyboard. The MacBook line was absolutely suffering for years until the redesign that came with m1
  • samstave 4y ago
    >"You would never catch Apple releasing something like this since they have brand value to protect" - Do you recall the original iphone lacked a bunch of really "duh" features at first. The main one being no copy+paste? Sure, Apple has made mistakes... No way to iron out the wrinkles in your foldable OLED screens until you get enough people to try them on first.
    • BoorishBears 4y ago
      You're being way too defensive here. The iPhone was revolutionary, lacking some software features at launch was nothing that couldn't be fixed. What the post above clearly means is releasing hardware that's still a few iterations from being "mainstream appealing" If you actually follow the story of the iPhone, Apple could have released a bulkier more primitive version, but Steve Jobs refused because it wouldn't have mainstream appeal. And Apple just seems to be more conservative in the feature wars in general. They held out the longest on OLEDs, they held out the longest on 120hz, etc. all until it was practically "boring" tech.
• fezfight 4y ago
  I love how these companies advertise Windows 11 Pro as a feature. As if anyone would be surprised or excited for what is effectively the status quo. It'd be like being surprised or excited that it was black. Its just kinda funny. Now if it was certified to run OSX, Linux, Beos, or Temple OS, or something, now THAT would be a selling point.
• some_bool 4y ago
  My username says it all about this product
• ngcc_hk 4y ago
  Great idea. Not cheap I assume. Like msft the desktop display model. If it also helped in mac … then cost not an issue.
• bradgranath 4y ago
  Why do people want foldy screens so bad? I get that they fit in your pocket better, but reading or viewing images through the crease looks awful.
  • drcode 4y ago
    I want something akin to a desktop with a big screen at home, but which I can also bring to a coffee shop. I don't want to have to fiddle with ugly docks, usb monitors, etc. Those things are a PITA.
    • nicbou 4y ago
      Wouldn't it be better to just connect a normal laptop to a bigger screen?
      • drcode 4y ago
        That's what I'm doing now, it's a pain in the ass It means I can only get a big screen when I happen to be where my big screen is (even a different room in the house is a pain) and every time I connect Windows decides to reposition my apps differently, and 10% of the time I have to reboot because something janky happened to the screen connection
• nordsieck 4y ago
  IMO, this isn't great. It's competing with laptop + USB monitors that are optimized for portability. That setup is a little less elegant, but it's less expensive and it's composed of reliable components. And, you can easily use the stand-alone laptop in cramped quarters like on a bus/airplane. The only real downside is, it's a little less compact compared to the Asus design.
• arthurcolle 4y ago
  How many truckloads of money is this?
  • drcode 4y ago
    I'm a superfan of this device and follow all the news It'll be "only" $2999 in the US if we're lucky
    • symlinkk 4y ago
      Why do you like this device so much?
      • drcode 4y ago
        I can have a giant monitor in any room of the house when I'm working from home I can get a stealth giant monitor at the coffee shop without looking like a freak (by using laptop mode but placing keyboard in front of lower screen) And I can have a single PC I use for everything, no juggling files, no messing with docks, no messing with USB monitors (that require random reboots because of connection issues, or cause Windows to randomly reposition my apps all the time)
• Havoc 4y ago
  Looks neat. I'm curious why its trending so high on hn though? Out of the first 20ish comments a single one expresses a desire to get one
  • upupandup 4y ago
    I guess the same reason I haven't bought anything from Amazon in the past 4 month. Fatigue and what I have serves a purpose. I can't be the only one who cut back on spending.
• mmanfrin 4y ago
  Cool design, but absolutely never buying an Asus product again. Every single product I've bought from them (router, motherboard, monitor, etc) has broken, and their support system is an absolute nightmare.
  • franga2000 4y ago
    In what situation would you need the manufacturer's support? Asus doesn't sell direct to consumer, so issues while still under warranty are handled by the store you bought it from.
    • ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
      the store is not an expert in the electronics inside the device, or the firmware that runs on it, so they're incapable of providing any meaningful support
      • franga2000 4y ago
        I guess my question is what kind of support do you need for a laptop (that any other manufacturer is going to provide)? Software issues are the OS vendor's problem, for hardware issues they'll just tell you to send it to the shop, parts compatibility doesn't exist since nothing is replaceable... I guess driver issues? But then they'll just tell you to either run Windows Update or install it from their downloads page.
        • ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
          sure, it sounds like you understand why the support is bad for most of their devices (which aren't laptops), so here are things Dell support has helped me out with, with one of my laptops they made: - issues with the OS (yep, Microsoft definitely isn't going to pick up the phone and provide support) - processor speed issues - processor virtualization issues - overnighted me a processor replacement for me to replace under warranty - overnighted me a technician to fix my poor processor installation, still under warranty - overnighted me a replacement keyboard to install as far as I know, Asus has neither negotiated nor paid retailers to provide the type of support manufacturers are supposed to provide, so they can't wash their hands of it you seem to be pessimistic about things a support team of engineers can or should or will do, possibly based on experience with Asus support :), but tech support for a computer or a device exceeds "have you tried turning it off and back on" and "ok return it", or it's bad support
• anigbrowl 4y ago
  Intriguing. Also their marketing is good, and I say that as someone who hates advertising.
• winrid 4y ago
  Finally, I can feel like I'm in Westworld.
• pantulis 4y ago
  This should be great for reading sheet music!!
• nsonha 4y ago
  the hardware is pointless when it runs on windows, a crap OS, I'm still waiting patiently for linux on mobile, let alone foldable linux
• honkycat 4y ago
  I actually kinda love this form factor. my laptop is a glorified desktop/monitor and removing the keyboard is a good idea.
• galaxyLogic 4y ago
  Can I have two of these displays connected to a single "laptop" ?
• gabrielhidasy 4y ago
  That's almost what I wanted from Lenovo with the X1 Fold, I already have space to carry around a 14" notebook, I gain nothing on a device that's half the size, but twice the screen on the same space, that would be awesome.
• drusepth 4y ago
  I scrolled all the way through and couldn't find a price and/or a release date. Does anyone have the numbers? I've been using a Lenovo Yoga Book (10" foldable running Android with virtual keyboard/wacom on second "screen") for years now that this would be the PERFECT upgrade for. Love the ratio, love the screen size, and love the screen versatility. Took me a few months to get used to typing on a screen, but it's kind of a non-factor now; being able to bring your own keyboard for an even bigger screen though.. that's a killer feature IMO -- as long as the crease isn't too noticable and the hinge actually lasts a long time.
• olliej 4y ago
  This seems much more useful than the plethora of folding phones from a year or so back. Like doubling the size of a phone's screen doesn't get it to a size that is more useful imo - I don't watch tv/video on my phone, so I realize the value may be different for others. But being able to have 17" of real-estate without having a 17" rectangle seems like a big deal, and I can see the half size also being more useful. I remain worried about creasing, etc but I think those are technical things that are going to be resolved eventually. Making a device that is useful when switching between two screen sizes is the product issue, and on face/marketing image this looks like a great concept to me.
• fragmede 4y ago
  The device looks gorgeous, but what's with the promo pics on that page looking like I've broken the screen on it?
• ajot 4y ago
  What I wonder is: how a screen that's supposed to be put indistinctly "vertically" or "horizontally" refreshes the image? I remember the Dragonbox Pyra having some trouble because the cellphone/portrait screens they could get didn't have a way to refresh normally when put in a handheld/landscape orientation, and the shim software they made to adapt for this caused a penalty in performance.
• zbird 4y ago
  "Fully opened, the 17.3-inch touchscreen is perfect for presenting your big ideas, or simply kicking back to relax on the web." Relax on the web? Oh boy...
• childintime 4y ago
  It seems they missed the opportunity to store the keyboard inside the clam shell. That location would even allow the keyboard to be angled, quite the improvement.