The NajmTek Ubook is a laptop with a 13.3 inch, 1440 x 900 pixel display… and a second 12 inch, 1440 x 600 pixel display where you’d expected to find the keyboard.
While it’s not easy to touch-type on the glass screen as on a physical keyboard which provides tactile feedback, there are a few advantages to this approach. You can customize the keyboard layout, change the keyboard language, add shortcuts to your frequently used apps or settings to the row above the keyboard, or even change the color of the keys.
You might not actually have to do those things very often, but in a classroom, business, or public kiosk environment where many people might use the same laptop, the ability to customize the experience could be useful… maybe.
The Ubook also has an active digitizer for use with a digital pen for writing or drawing. The company is offering a software developer kit for custom applications designed to take advantage of the unusual layout.
NajmTek is showing off an early prototype at CES this week and hopes to be able to ship the finished Ubook by the third quarter of 2012 for between $900 and $1200.
The prototype has HDMI, VGA, 1 USB 3.0 port, and 3 USB 2.0 ports as well as WiFi, Bluetooth, and WiMAX.
It measures 13″ x 9.3″ x 1″ and weighs about 4.9 pounds.
NajmTek isn’t the first company to develop a dual-screen notebook. But unlike Acer, MSI, and Toshiba, NajmTek is throwing most of its eggs in this one basket. That could be a good thing, since the company’s not as likely to treat the Ubook as a technical demo and instead try to bring it to market. On the other hand, unless NajmTek can close some more funding, the Ubook might never see the light of day.
