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Acer Dual-Screen, Multitouch Laptop Leaks Out

Posted by timothy on from the mind-the-smudges dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A 15" laptop from Acer that is currently in production features dual-multitouch displays, one for the main display and one as the keyboard/mouse. It has a 2.67GHz Intel Core i5 processor and runs Windows 7. No release date or pricing information yet as this unit is still heavily in production/testing phases." Replacing a keyboard with a touchscreen sounds like a mixed blessing to me, but not everyone agrees. Witness the (great big) Kno dual-touchscreen e-reader, and the Toshiba Libretto W100 dual-screen mini-laptop, now shipping in Japan.

15 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. I'd take the "leak" with a huge grain of salt by ChipMonk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's a tried-and-true way to generate buzz, and it's been around a lot longer than Twitter and Facebook.

    1. Re:I'd take the "leak" with a huge grain of salt by Idbar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That works for Apple. Why not let other companies generate buzz?

  2. Trackpad? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Isn't a virtual trackpad kinda redundant?

  3. Don't see the point in a large device by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If you could make it open flat and seamless then I could see having a big one, otherwise the libretto seems more useful.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  4. touchscreen keyboard? by hex0D · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Didn't we all learn the importance of tactile response in a keyboard around the time of the Timex Sinclair?

    1. Re:touchscreen keyboard? by Idbar · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Perhaps some people don't care about tactile response (besides I know some people that look at the keyboard every time). I'd be more interested how does the battery plays a role when this type of keyboard is idle.

    2. Re:touchscreen keyboard? by Peach+Rings · · Score: 4, Insightful

      How, what? I don't even know how to reply to that. Nobody who is remotely sane would agree with you. Typing 160 character texts is a lot different from typing prose on a full keyboard. On a keyboard I can compose my thoughts and type them out immediately as I think of them. On a tiny touch keyboard it's excruciating to try to express complex thoughts. Since it takes so long to type I constantly try to cut down the amount of text to type instead of thinking of what I'm trying to say.

      A full size touch keyboard might be different, but that doesn't mean that your statement about the iPhone is right.

    3. Re:touchscreen keyboard? by Locutus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      but since then, schools completely dropped the ball on teaching 10 finger touch typing. Tactile response is only important when you're looking at fast, efficient, and correct typing and that is not what seems to be important any more. I had to shake my head when I read how Google's new live search was supposed to increase effectiveness because of how many milliseconds people take on the search line. They completely left out the fact that most people today have to look at the keyboard( virtual or real ) to type.

      LoB

      --
      "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
    4. Re:touchscreen keyboard? by reboot246 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Amen! There's no way I could type 100+ words per minute without a real keyboard. I rarely ever look at the keyboard while typing. My current keyboard is an old IBM monster that weighs in at about 5 pounds, but it's a dream to type on!
      (and no stupid Windows key getting in the way)

  5. Yummm battery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So let's take a keyboard that doesn't consume battery and replace it with a backlit LCD touchscreen that consumes battery and has no tactile feedback or home key detents. Ok, I'll buy a few of these.

    1. Re:Yummm battery by TeknoHog · · Score: 3, Interesting

      In principle, a keyboard should be able to generate some electricity from the movement. But has anyone actually seen these IRL?

      http://www.theregister.co.uk/1999/07/22/keyboard_generates_electricity_for_notebooks/

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  6. Libretto by Myopic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Does anyone have one of those Librettos? That's the first time I've seen it, and I can't quite tell if it's incredibly awesome, or puny and lame.

  7. Re:Seriously, WTF? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Touchscreen keyboards are worthless for those who know how to type properly.

    Protip: that's not the target market.

    Touch as a supplemental control method works, but as a primary or only input method for data it is strictly a marketing gimmick intended to maximize sales to the clueless masses.

    Gee, why would a business want to "maximize sales to the clueless masses"?

    The world doesn't revolve around you. Not every product is being specifically created for your consumption. Nobody at Acer is going, "Fuck, we totally misjudged the buying habits of some anonymous slashdot reader."

  8. Leaks out? by ascari · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dual screen leaks out? Acer still uses Liquid Crystal Displays?

  9. Re:already slashdotted? by Yvan256 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Slashdot should auto-coralize the links.