Techworld reports that at CeBIT in Hanover Asus is showing an innovative dual-panel portable computer that suggests a multi-device future for all laptops might not be far off.
Made up of two LCD-sized displays in a thin form factor, one can function as a conventional screen with the other used as a virtual keyboard using touch input. Alternatively, the device can be flipped in an A4 orientation and used as a e-book reader, or just used in conventional fashion as a touchscreen computer in the style of today's Tablet PCs, Techworld says.
For users who care about video, Asus sees the two screens being combined to create a widescreen effect, rounding off the machine multiple identities without necessarily compromising the usability of any one of them.
The as yet unnamed machine is still in the concept phase but gives some clues as to how the industry is continuing the reinvention of the laptop that started two years ago with the arrival of netbooks.