4 ms·

Dual Screen Laptop

20 points by elsewhen 17y ago

zepolen 17y ago
I tried to simulate this by putting a couple laptops next to each other but the flatness of the screens really makes it uncomfortable to work with since as it's a laptop you have to be close to the monitors (to reach the keyboard). If they managed to make them angle towards your face it would be better.
rubinelli 17y ago
If I wanted (and had the money for) a huge laptop, I'd go for something like Hanselman's huge Lenovo [ http://www.hanselman.com/blog/MyLenovoChoiceThinkPadW700VsThinkPadW500Review.aspx http://www.hanselman.com/blog/MyLenovoChoiceThinkPadW700VsTh... ] I just think having a second, smaller monitor works better than two symmetrical monitors.
cturner 17y ago
I think this will look wrong-like-flairs at some future time when we're all looking back and thinking about designs that seemed so cool at the time. The mega laptop is a dead evolutionary path, because it does its two priorities badly. It's not a good portable, and it's not a good desktop because you have fixed eye position and no configuration opportunity. I expect the design that dominates the future will involve computers with the form factor of a phone. Users will run a lead between this and a unit that multiplexes one to many monitors when they want monitors, and be able to plug in an external keyboard. I wonder how long it is until mac laptops get offered where they're just a dumb housing for an iphone unit?
- 10ren 17y ago
  Unless it is the beginning of a disruption... they do badly at the start, and improve. Such as lighter, thinner, lower-wattage screens. I note that although laptops could have gotten lighter, there have been a tendency to load them up with DVD players and so on. It's as if there is a maximum tolerable weight for laptops, of 2-3 kg, and people will load on features up to that point. Then there was a reaction against this, of netbooks - lighter, smaller, lower-wattage - but this trend seems to have slowed, and of course, laptop sales still dominate netbook sales. Why? Because people in fact want to do desktop things on a laptop. If they need dual screen on their desktop, they'll need it on their laptop. (personally, I much prefer the netbook approach)
- lucumo 17y ago
  > The mega laptop is a dead evolutionary path, because it does its two priorities badly. It's not a good portable, and it's not a good desktop because you have fixed eye position and no configuration opportunity. While this is true, there are more uses for a laptop than mere usage on the road. I use my laptop as a portable office. I go someplace, unpack and start working. I always have a desk and a power plug. I always plug in an external mouse (I hate touchpads). I have no problem carrying around my current 17" laptop. Netbooks or other small laptops would be terrible for me. I have a lot of problems with the screen size in pixels as it is. I really don't want less screen estate, or a smaller keyboard, for that matter. (Rather, I'd like a numeric keypad added.) But maybe I am a niche: people strong enough to carry around a large laptop and wanting a portable office more than a train-/plane-computer.
- didroe 17y ago
  I saw an article recently about projectors that shine light directly into your eye. Mix that tech with a camera to track the location of your eyes and align the projector and you wouldn't need any monitors. You just stick your phone on a desk and get instant augmented reality.
bradgessler 17y ago
I'd love to bust this thing out on an airplane.
- mooism2 17y ago
  I hope I never sit next to you on an aeroplane.
- rbanffy 17y ago
  "I am sorry, sir, but the figures in your spreadsheet for next quarter sales are ludicrous. I also would suggest you change the font for your presentation - Verdana is really out of fashion, and, BTW, that girl that's e-mailing you about that party last month, you should really give her a call. Oh. Almost forgot! You really should not use unchecked pointers that way in your code." Unless, of course, it's your plane.
ygd_coder 17y ago
How do you close this thing?
- anigbrowl 17y ago
  the two screens slide out sideways and lock into place, kinda like window panels.
anigbrowl 17y ago
Photos of hideous monstrosity @ http://gizmodo.com/5346996/gscreens-dual+screen-spacebook-coming-soonish http://gizmodo.com/5346996/gscreens-dual+screen-spacebook-co... Hmm, based in Alaska, lots of military references (per http://gizmodo.com/5346996/gscreens-dual+screen-spacebook-coming-soonish http://gizmodo.com/5346996/gscreens-dual+screen-spacebook-co...) I call boondoggle. Edit: in fairness, it's a triumph of industrial design compared to the thing Lenovo put out earlier this year.
- gaius 17y ago
  The military would love something like this for UAV operators.
whatusername 17y ago
Don't forget the Lenovo W700 or whatever it is.. The 17" + 10" monster..
- rbanffy 17y ago
  A couple weeks back we had one of those in the office. It's so humongous it could easily accommodate a second camera and let people chat in 3D.
jmah 17y ago
"June 2009: In approximately 3-4 weeks we will publish demo-video of our gScreen laptop BETA models on Youtube.com." Are they defunct?
onreact-com 17y ago
Is it only me or does this thing look ridiculous? Is it a parody?
edw519 17y ago
Why?

20 points by elsewhen 17y ago

I tried to simulate this by putting a couple laptops next to each other but the flatness of the screens really makes it uncomfortable to work with since as it's a laptop you have to be close to the monitors (to reach the keyboard). If they managed to make them angle towards your face it would be better.

rubinelli 17y ago

If I wanted (and had the money for) a huge laptop, I'd go for something like Hanselman's huge Lenovo [ http://www.hanselman.com/blog/MyLenovoChoiceThinkPadW700VsThinkPadW500Review.aspx http://www.hanselman.com/blog/MyLenovoChoiceThinkPadW700VsTh... ] I just think having a second, smaller monitor works better than two symmetrical monitors.

cturner 17y ago

I think this will look wrong-like-flairs at some future time when we're all looking back and thinking about designs that seemed so cool at the time. The mega laptop is a dead evolutionary path, because it does its two priorities badly. It's not a good portable, and it's not a good desktop because you have fixed eye position and no configuration opportunity. I expect the design that dominates the future will involve computers with the form factor of a phone. Users will run a lead between this and a unit that multiplexes one to many monitors when they want monitors, and be able to plug in an external keyboard. I wonder how long it is until mac laptops get offered where they're just a dumb housing for an iphone unit?

10ren 17y ago
Unless it is the beginning of a disruption... they do badly at the start, and improve. Such as lighter, thinner, lower-wattage screens. I note that although laptops could have gotten lighter, there have been a tendency to load them up with DVD players and so on. It's as if there is a maximum tolerable weight for laptops, of 2-3 kg, and people will load on features up to that point. Then there was a reaction against this, of netbooks - lighter, smaller, lower-wattage - but this trend seems to have slowed, and of course, laptop sales still dominate netbook sales. Why? Because people in fact want to do desktop things on a laptop. If they need dual screen on their desktop, they'll need it on their laptop. (personally, I much prefer the netbook approach)
lucumo 17y ago
> The mega laptop is a dead evolutionary path, because it does its two priorities badly. It's not a good portable, and it's not a good desktop because you have fixed eye position and no configuration opportunity. While this is true, there are more uses for a laptop than mere usage on the road. I use my laptop as a portable office. I go someplace, unpack and start working. I always have a desk and a power plug. I always plug in an external mouse (I hate touchpads). I have no problem carrying around my current 17" laptop. Netbooks or other small laptops would be terrible for me. I have a lot of problems with the screen size in pixels as it is. I really don't want less screen estate, or a smaller keyboard, for that matter. (Rather, I'd like a numeric keypad added.) But maybe I am a niche: people strong enough to carry around a large laptop and wanting a portable office more than a train-/plane-computer.
didroe 17y ago
I saw an article recently about projectors that shine light directly into your eye. Mix that tech with a camera to track the location of your eyes and align the projector and you wouldn't need any monitors. You just stick your phone on a desk and get instant augmented reality.

bradgessler 17y ago

I'd love to bust this thing out on an airplane.

mooism2 17y ago
I hope I never sit next to you on an aeroplane.
rbanffy 17y ago
"I am sorry, sir, but the figures in your spreadsheet for next quarter sales are ludicrous. I also would suggest you change the font for your presentation - Verdana is really out of fashion, and, BTW, that girl that's e-mailing you about that party last month, you should really give her a call. Oh. Almost forgot! You really should not use unchecked pointers that way in your code." Unless, of course, it's your plane.

ygd_coder 17y ago

How do you close this thing?

anigbrowl 17y ago
the two screens slide out sideways and lock into place, kinda like window panels.

anigbrowl 17y ago

Photos of hideous monstrosity @ http://gizmodo.com/5346996/gscreens-dual+screen-spacebook-coming-soonish http://gizmodo.com/5346996/gscreens-dual+screen-spacebook-co... Hmm, based in Alaska, lots of military references (per http://gizmodo.com/5346996/gscreens-dual+screen-spacebook-coming-soonish http://gizmodo.com/5346996/gscreens-dual+screen-spacebook-co...) I call boondoggle. Edit: in fairness, it's a triumph of industrial design compared to the thing Lenovo put out earlier this year.

gaius 17y ago
The military would love something like this for UAV operators.

whatusername 17y ago

Don't forget the Lenovo W700 or whatever it is.. The 17" + 10" monster..

rbanffy 17y ago
A couple weeks back we had one of those in the office. It's so humongous it could easily accommodate a second camera and let people chat in 3D.

jmah 17y ago

"June 2009: In approximately 3-4 weeks we will publish demo-video of our gScreen laptop BETA models on Youtube.com." Are they defunct?

onreact-com 17y ago

Is it only me or does this thing look ridiculous? Is it a parody?

edw519 17y ago

Why?