Imagine a notebook that you open and is two screens. one on the top, one on the keyboard space. When you turn on the machine, a simulated keyboard appears on the lower display. Both displays are touch screens, and of course, reinforced for hand touch. you can use both screens to read a document like a real book is you hold it sideways (I guess the idea of a notebook computer originaly was something like this) You can twist the monitors all the way, so you have a light slab in wich you can work either side.
You can have aditional screen space to open more applications, and perhaps it´s good to have some unfoldable wirst-placers.
The battery is a problem, because this design would be good if is thin. Perhaps a pair of flat batteries that had the complete size of the screens will do.-- noyola, Oct 12 2003 Organic Light Emitting Diodes http://science.howstuffworks.com/oled.htmat howstuffworks.com [BJS, May 16 2006] Estari 2-VU™ Dual-Screen mobile computer http://www.estari.com/A steal at $5k. Offers an optional on-screen touch keyboard, but I think that's got to still have some usability issues. [jutta, May 17 2006] How Touch Screens work http://electronics....com/question716.htmat howstuffworks.com [BJS, May 17 2006] OLPC-XO2 http://blog.laptopm...pc-xo-generation-20 [kamathln, May 16 2009] [noyola] you seem a bit laptop obsessed with screens and batteries at the moment, however I really like this idea, as long as the screens take up all of the surface area, as it would be annoying to have a join. (+)-- neilp, Oct 12 2003 What's the advantage over a tablet PC?-- phoenix, Oct 12 2003 more screen!-- neilp, Oct 12 2003 [Phoenix] Basicaly, more space of desktop, and perhaps a solid state keyboard (the one simulated) would be really useful in dark spaces. (and a cleaner keyboard... try and put your keyboard up side down... See what I mean? Another good thing about the double display, is that you can read two documents in portrait position, like a real book. You can hide all disk and comm slots by folding both displays completely, thus, you have a double screen tablet pc. (that is, more desktop)-- noyola, Oct 12 2003 [neilp] thanks, and... yup, batteries are my main concern. They can spoil a beautiful design. And about joining the screens, I guess the design of the folding point of the machine would be the most important feature of this machine. I tought the cmputer as some bold plastic door joint, and at some degree of folding, like, say... when the computer is open at 180 degrees (flat) the two screens be jointed, giving you the chance to see video almost like a TV.-- noyola, Oct 12 2003 Maybe a laptop that was hinged from the side, you open the laptop up at a 120 degree angle or so, place it upright on the desk, and plug in a roll-up keyboard. The two halves each have a display.
Dual monitor laptop!-- Cedar Park, Oct 12 2003 A totally flat virtual keyboard would be horrible to type on for any length of time: no feel, no feedback. (Not that laptop keyboards are that great in general, but still...)-- JKew, Oct 12 2003 [JKew] well, I tought of thet too, then let me give this the solution HP gave to their smooth Vectra keyboards. Clicks. Each time you tipe, you will lisen to a nice click. And, well, I guess one can get use to it. (think of the first overpowered electric typewriters...)-- noyola, Oct 12 2003 Not only do I not see any advantage of this over tablet PCs, I don't see any difference. The only thing you mention that can be done this way that a tablet PC can't do is this idea you have of reading two screens open and hinged like a book. But that is quite silly. Why on earth would you do that? It is greatly preferable to scroll a single screen.-- waugsqueke, Oct 12 2003 I like this Idea, because I had almost the exact same one. Something you didn't think of is to have a two-person mode or something, whereas it would be open about 270-330 degrees or open flat, sitting on a desk or table (or floor). You could play games Battleship style, or you could do a presentation or something, with you on one side, and a small group of people on the other.
Howabout using O.L.E.D. screens possibly, instead of L.C.D. screens.-- BJS, May 13 2006 I'm having trouble finding the link, but this is already baked. A company released a laptop like this several months ago, exactly as described here. Maybe someone else can find that link?-- ironfroggy, May 16 2006 The one on the link can not open beyond 180 degrees, and it only has one display mode. I would like to see a new, better version...-- BJS, May 17 2006 Baked. Check out the new OLPC design.-- kamathln, Feb 14 2009 Thanks everyone. This is almost 2010, so many crazy ideas then are now staples pof the industry. (smart phones-for example)-- noyola, May 16 2009 @noyola: Smartphones were not staple, but were definitely baked in 1993/1994 , that too touchscreen only!! Google for IBM Simon-- kamathln, Jul 04 2010 random, halfbakery