There are a few different ways to design a notebook so that it can also be used as a tablet. You can offer a detachable keyboard, a hinge that lets you twist the screen and push it down over the keyboard, or a design that lets the screen rotate within its frame.

Asus opted for a different option with its new TAICHI series ultrabooks. There are two displays: one on each side of the laptop lid.

Asus TAICHI

Close the laptop and you’re looking at a touchscreen tablet. Open the lid and you’re looking at a normal laptop-style computer.

Interestingly, you can display separate content on each screen — which means that you can also share the computer with a friend sitting across the tablet from you while one of you plays a game and the other surfs a web. I imagine this would also be a killer setup for some Battleship-style video game.

While you’d think a computer with two touchscreen LCD displays would be a bit on the thick side, the Asus TAICHI doesn’t look any thicker than any of the company’s Zenbook ultrabooks.

The TAICHI will come with an 11.6 inch or 13.3 inch screen. Both models are available with high resolution 1920 x 1080 pixel Super IPS+ displays.

The notebooks feature Intel Ivy Bridge processors, 4GB of RAM, solid state disks, and front-and rear facing cameras, as well as USB 3.0, micro VGA and mini DisplayPort. The computer also features a gyroscopic sensor, NFC chip, and an e-compass.

There’s no word on the price or release date, but since the TAICHI notebooks appear to be running Windows 8, it’s likely that they won’t be available until this fall at the earliest.

via The Verge

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11 replies on “Asus TAICHI packs two displays into one ultrabook”

  1. I personally love this idea, I’m holding off buying the Transformer Infinity and waiting on this one. Sick and tired and carrying 2 portable electronics on the go (MBA w/Windows 7 & Transformer Prime tablet). It’s a hassle to integrate datas on both machine as I use both depending on where I am. All in one ultra-tablet is a clear winner to me along with many other tech users in similar situation….If you own both an ultrabook & a tablet, you will love the TaiChi….great for business/work portability. Just hurry up and release it already so I can get rid of this Macbook air & Prime hassle….

    1. Should I replace my mid 2010 MacBook pro? Been thinking about just getting a surface or transformer 800. But the 800 runs on intel atom. Not a big fan of windows 7. Maybe the transformer book would be better? I can see where the combination of touch and mouse will be usefull. Too bad only one is touchscreen. This will probably be to expensive. Looking for around $800. I wonder if you can hook up a mouse and keyboard and use the other side as a laptop too. That would be awesome.

  2. @CyberGusa:disqus 
                         
    Maybe you’re right. But I really dont see the point.

    A hybrid, why not… But this is just for showing off and geeks imo.
    Oubviously, I’m not the target. But I don’t see the real added value in it beside the wow factor (which is not bad in itself for some people I guess).
    Still, one thing we can praise Asus for it’s its innovation(s) mentality.

    But if you do good market research, you don’t need to throw everything and anything you can produce out there. Just stick with what you know will work.
    Otherwise that’s a lot of ressources wasted for experiments at this scale.
    Ressources they could allocate on lowering price on other products for example.

    Still, it’s not my money and, in terms of image and brand equity/awareness, it seems to be a success.
    They are on their way to become the ‘new Sony’.

    1.  Assuming what the public wants doesn’t always work as the public wants many things and surveys aren’t always accurate as to what most people may want and sometimes the numbers are just too close to pick just one dominant form factor.

      While what the public wants can also change very suddenly, as what’s the latest FAD is often a factor along with timing for when the product is released.

      So it can be a gamble either way, but also large numbers of people could also want different solutions and part of what Asus does is try to appeal to as many people as they can manage to.

      They also do make last minute changes and part of the reasons for these demonstrations is to get consumer feedback.  So that’s also a factor with them as well.

      Though I think Samsung is closer to being on its way to be the new Sony, especially with the premium pricing ;-P

      1. Right again (on market researches and their limits)… You’re boring 😉

        But Asus is not bad at all on the premium pricing either.
        The difference is that Samsung create technology and Asus concepts.

        So, we could indeed say that Samsung is closer to what Sony once was but the product mentality and the desire to innovate is definetely on Asus side. At least, we can say it’s more an ‘in your face’ (plays on the wow factor, the eyes (there are good looking products), and the geek side that is in all men -don’t know about women on this one-) approach.

        It does tend to confuse or raise some questions as far as I’m concerned but all in all that’s a good approach and a risky one at that (in termes of ressources and dilution of their image). But it will pay off.
        People are noticing.

  3. This is a great idea – I wondered when it was coming.  Apple has been using the backlight to illuminate their logo for years – why not do something more interesting with the lid = back of the lcd panel?  
    No need to run both displays at same time – the idea is very quick and easy conversion from tablet to laptop with full keyboard.  Swivel hinges are cumbersome and add weight and thickness.  So are docking hinges, requiring alignment and leaving a wobble. 
    As screens get cheaper and cheaper, dual is the way to go.

    1. Nope.

      But you’re interested?
      Me too, I miss playing naval battle…

      No, seriously, what’s the point in this innovation?
      Typical ingeneer product. No market for it.
      And I dont wanna think about the price nor the life expentency of the screen on the lid.
      And the battery if the 2 screens are used at the same time (wich is kinda the purpose of 2 screens instead of one we can rotate, I guess).

        1.  Every design has it’s compromises.  Flip and Swivel screens require extra strong structural support, which results in extra thick hinges and bezels.

          Hybrids require the extra cost of squeezing the whole system behind the screen and also tend to make the system top heavy with a keyboard dock unless a sufficiently large extra battery is part of the dock.

          So has some counters to the advantage of being able to shed the keyboard when not needed.

          While Sliders will give you a similar problem of exposing the screen when in the slate position as this product will be with the lid closed.

          The hinge though for this solution can be more minimalistic and more easily made strong than the other designs and like the Slider it effectively lets the device convert into a slate usage form.

          Then add the benefits of being able to use both screens at the same time and for different things at the same time and it then doesn’t become that hard to imagine it fulfilling its own niche of users who might like this design solution.

          Besides, Asus is known to try a bunch of design solutions and then seeing which one sells the most.

      1. what’s the point in this innovation?
        Obviously you are in laggard adopter territory as I see this is a great way for those that own both an Ultrabook and a Tablet. This highly increases portability for those users (whom are the majority of the actual tech users). Please excuse yourself if you do not relate….

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