V12 Designs' dual-screen laptop coming in two years?

No, not that dual-screen, silly. Or that one. Or that one! The dual-screen lappie we're talking about actually has two LCD panels, one of which takes the place of a traditional keyboard / trackpad. Reportedly, V12 Designs -- which takes credit for dreaming up the design some four years ago -- is working with an undisclosed US firm in order to bring said concept to market. We're told that the keyboard display will likely support haptic feedback so users can feel when a keystroke is registered, and of course, voice recognition will also play a large role. It's not that we don't think these are coming, but V12's Valerio Cometti is suggesting that they'll be ready for consumption in a mere 16 months. Don't hate us for being skeptical, but... we're skeptical.

[Rick @ Jul 10th 2008 4:37PM]

Who cares?

[Dillon @ Jul 10th 2008 4:38PM]

Lets hope the battery life is more than an hour...

[Pochi @ Jul 10th 2008 6:33PM]

Yeah, right now we've got tactile feedback + more room for battery and less power suctioned out for another screen. But in two years we get...

...another fuckin' screen and less battery life.

Oh boy.

[diode3diode @ Jul 10th 2008 7:11PM]

What, the iphone or the V12!?

Seriously, on days like this I always try to avoid apple news. But there's always someone like poster numero uno.

[Dillon @ Jul 10th 2008 4:39PM]

omfg r u fo'reeeeeelzzz?! Screw whatever this article is about! Lets go get ifonesssss1!!


Not really


;)

[KEROLiUKAS @ Jul 10th 2008 4:39PM]

OLPC concept anyone?

[BigD145 @ Jul 10th 2008 4:40PM]

Why not just make a proper dual screen laptop? Turning the keyboard into a limited screen is just unimaginative. The iPhone comment above is actually applicable in this case.

[MBS @ Jul 10th 2008 5:12PM]

You're right, it's as unimaginative as the iphone.

[Phoenix @ Jul 10th 2008 5:30PM]

I'm GUESSING that the lower screen does whatever's needed,not just a keyboard. I.e. when you're editing video you'll get video controls, maybe a load of icons on the lower screen will open your other programs

[BigD145 @ Jul 10th 2008 6:47PM]

No, it's more like the iPhone is out in some number of hours while this laptop was dreamed up 4 years ago and will take almost 2 years to get on the market. iPhone look-alikes and knock-offs take a few months to come out the door.

[neofolklore @ Jul 11th 2008 8:29AM]

so wait, why would you need a touch pad on a touch screen.

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Jul 10th 2008 4:41PM]

2 and half hours for us but what is this got to do with the laptop above.

[matt @ Jul 10th 2008 4:42PM]

ARRRGGGHH. Tactile feedback is a good thing. How in fucks name are you supposed to touch type?

[Dillon @ Jul 10th 2008 4:48PM]

With your hands. Duh...

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 10th 2008 4:57PM]

Keep your fingers on the homerow my friend.

[ddub @ Jul 10th 2008 7:00PM]

If i move my right hand to the num pad then I won't get back to the home row unless I look down at the keyboard.

[ddub @ Jul 10th 2008 7:01PM]

More importantly how am I supposed to look at porn while I touch type.

- I'm not really sure what that means.

[Danakin @ Jul 10th 2008 4:42PM]

how about audible feedback, instead of haptic...or perhaps both?

[Ten @ Jul 10th 2008 11:14PM]

audible feedback already exists, all touchscreen devices already use it (im trying to avoid mentioning the iphone here) thats the easiest thing in the world to implement

[farfisa @ Jul 10th 2008 4:44PM]

And one for every child!!!

[Dany Brancho @ Jul 10th 2008 4:47PM]

I find typing on anything but physical keys difficult. the iphone, for example

[Ten @ Jul 10th 2008 11:15PM]

Thats what haptic feedback back is for, if all goes well, it should feel like you're typing on a very flat laptop keyboard (not perfect, but hey, its a start)

[Paul @ Jul 10th 2008 4:50PM]

This is a terrible concept for a traditional laptop, however, I could see this being very nice for a upscale, UMPC'ish e-book reader. Put color e-ink displays on both sides, make it the size of a hardback book (thinner, though), and let it serve as a book reader with limited PC capabilities and a great battery life. MAYBE put an OLED or some other faster screen on one side, accept lower battery life, and give it multimedia capabilities. Either way, it could possibly be nice to have the keyboard as an option. This concept will NEVER fly for a full sized laptop, though. I'm already ticked off at Apple for their MacBook chiclets. Take away all tactile feedback for a full-time, full-sized lappie, and you've got crap.

[Erasure25 @ Jul 10th 2008 6:57PM]

Any ebook that is backlit defeats the purpose of an ebook. Try placing your face 1 foot from your monitor while reading lines of text for 3 hours. Tell me how you feel after that.

[SoulinEther @ Jul 11th 2008 1:28AM]

Uhh, isn't that what most of the Engadget readers do anyway?

[IT-Accountant @ Jul 10th 2008 4:52PM]

If they can pull this off in less than five years, and for less than $4000, I am totally buying one.

[EricR @ Jul 10th 2008 5:15PM]

Will you be magically out of money in 5 years + 1 day?

[kjb434 @ Jul 10th 2008 4:58PM]

I came out 28 years ago, then came "out" again 10 years ago.

Beat that iPhone!

[Krush @ Jul 10th 2008 5:22PM]

whats the point of this design? ... anyway reason for my post - the past few days I have been hearing a lot of this gizmo called an iPhone -- what is it?

[MrFairladyz @ Jul 10th 2008 5:22PM]

what hes doing is calling attention to apple, which should have produced this dual screen laptop already

something like this

http://chinese.engadget.com/images/2006/02/11touchscreen_ibook.jpg

or this

http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/cultofmac/macbook_dsp.jpg

2nd 1 looks moree up to date, but theyre only photoshop concepts. :(

[The 3rd Hot Dog @ Jul 10th 2008 5:29PM]

If I low rank you *and* Dillon, then neither of you will get to be Lowest.

Dillon got the vote down.

[Andrew @ Jul 10th 2008 5:34PM]

If they use the type of LCD that doesn't lose its picture on (at least) the keyboard screen, I don't see these using much more power. Laptops already have LED backlighting, which this would likely use if released at that time...

Nice prototype, but like anything, gotta wait for the actual product before you can judge..

See you in 2 years!

[bioadam @ Jul 10th 2008 5:37PM]

Finally something to port DS games onto. Seriously, like with the OLPC 2.0 I believe that the mechanical keyboards are relics.

[Forrest @ Jul 10th 2008 5:43PM]

I hope you're getting paid for your antics. They're pretty sad to begin with, but if you're not at least making some money you may be close to the record for utter internet failure.

[James Barsby @ Jul 10th 2008 5:45PM]

hmmm where have I heard this idea before?...

Quote me:

"Imagine a dual screen laptop, with one 'clean' screen in the
usual place and one multi-touch - replacing the keyboard. That way,
most of the time the touch screen would act as a huge 1:1 scale track
pad. When the need arises it could switch to a virtual keyboard, with
force feedback for touch-typing. Most people only use their keyboards
about 10 percent of the time anyway."

WIll look better when Apple makes one. 'Mac Book Duo' anyone?

[wyatt @ Jul 10th 2008 5:58PM]

am i the only one that cringes every time engadget says "lappie"?

is it so hard to type laptop, or better yet, notebook?

seriously...do you use "lappie" when you're talking in public?

do you still have all your teeth?

[Josh L @ Jul 10th 2008 6:12PM]

I think they need to hire a better 3DS MAX concept artist.

[naz @ Jul 10th 2008 6:52PM]

like a giant Ds

[Erasure25 @ Jul 10th 2008 6:55PM]

So.. someone tell me the trouble with real keys again? Is it because typing on an iPhone is so easy and trouble free? Or is it because we want laptop batteries to drain even faster from the dual screens.

[diode3diode @ Jul 10th 2008 7:02PM]

"...is working with an undisclosed US firm"
I hope it's not the firm in Cupertino, California! (I heard Vista is better than Leopard in handwriting recognition) I mean if they are going with dual screen, why even have a virtual keyboard when you can just use your handwriting to write essays, thesis or scientific formulas on the lower screen.

[Ten @ Jul 10th 2008 11:15PM]

i assume there would be both. Im actually a faster typer than i am a hand writer, especially when typing something like an essay or thesis. Although there are situations (formulas ect) where handwriting would be useful, so i want both in this thing

[Benson @ Jul 11th 2008 11:08PM]

@Ten
You can save time by not hitting shift or apostrophe, I guess.

[diode3diode @ Jul 12th 2008 12:02AM]

Yeah, I see your point. I also type faster than I write. However, for myself, when I do my freewriting I am better with handwriting than typing since I constantly want to know if I'm typing the words correctly and not be a whole column off which would make things very illegible thus losing my total concentration on the subject matter.

Fast is not the key with writing essays or theses (me thinks) but getting the most out of our valuable time conveying our thoughts is more important. I think with a reliable handwriting software, it's possible to cut time off from typing our drafts by just proofreading what we see. In this way, we can be able to focus more on doing searches on a subject matter, linking relevant websites, or conveying diagrams.

Equation-wise, I would disagree to having both a virtual keyboard in conjunction with a handwriting. I have tried MSWord's insert, object, etc, etc. And it's a pain because typing an equation is much, much slower than writing.

I do have one concern that I have to voice for those in the know. Why does Vista's handwriting software have only one line to write in (as seen in Youtube)? Making sentences can usually take more than two to three lines long!!

[Cassini @ Jul 10th 2008 7:22PM]

A screen and haptic feedback is not going to replace a nice conventional keyboard. Most people would never go for it.

Haptics would help by giving you a certain "feel", but it's no substitute for spring-loaded, shock-absorbing, tactile feedback. And with a bunch of typing on that thing, not only would your typing speed drop quite a bit reducing your productivity, your fingertips (or fingernails) would undoubtedly get sore after a while of tapping on a hard screen surface. And talk about a fingerprint magnet!

Although different things could be done with the other screen, it would really take the support of third-party software developers to really put it to use, and that's not gonna happen. Other computer manufacturers would have to hop on board with this type of design for that to even be a consideration, and even then, who knows?

So, although it's interesting to look at, why would anyone want this? Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you should.

[Nippon @ Jul 11th 2008 4:45AM]

Excellent point!!! There are many things that it would be cool if you could do with technology, but doing this to a keyboard?? Come on... not only would your fingers getting hurt from tapping a non-shock-absorbent screen (for the most part), this thing would be an absolute fingerprint magnet - AND you wouldn't really be able to "feel" the keys to locate the positioning of your hands on the keyboard, which would mean a lot of looking down that shouldn't have been necessary for proficient typers. Haptics don't give your hands the three dimensional feel of touching a keyboard when just resting them on top of the screen. Even if this thing was only several hundred dollars, I do not think I would buy one unless it had insanely good specs - at which point I would go out and buy a wireless USB or other type of keyboard to use with it.

Dual-screen laptop FTL.

[Cassini @ Jul 12th 2008 3:52AM]

I'd also add that it's a solution looking for a problem.

[prestor john @ Jul 10th 2008 7:44PM]

It used to be considered folly to try reinventing the wheel.

[Laughing Man @ Jul 10th 2008 10:17PM]

If the touch screen goes out, can I flip it over and switch to the other side? Because if you can, that would be awesome.

[霽月瀛台 @ Jul 10th 2008 10:27PM]

I want more battery instead of a touchness screen keyboard........
I don't want to hold any more weight of the glass panel.
Please........one panel is heavy enough.

[itanshi @ Jul 10th 2008 11:41PM]

greasy finger prints