Bluetooth keyboard can be placed anywhere on the desk or ignored .
It seems that like phones and tablets, the naysayers that choke up the tech journo space and developers who see the physical keyboard and trackpad as being front and centre, always in the same configuration are ā blockingā innovation like this type of design, even though they already have hundreds of machines designed for their needs.
I say ditch the trackpad for a full width trackscreen.
Before quashing this, please have a good look and think about who uses this and how.
If it is not useful to you, can you see how it would be for many people?
Iām waiting for a full double screen job like a supersized NEO, 16 inch with power for editing, animation, illustration and audio on the fly.
I donāt see buying a tablet pc (or laptop) again until that happens.
And a kickstand that support both landscape and portrait mode. Canāt believe they havenāt come up with anything there yet. Seems like such an obvious advantage against the competition.
Nice! What I would personally like is having the palmrest all-screen (e-ink or matte AMOLED, is that a thing?) while keeping the real keyboard in the back. Good idea for the Surface Laptop Studio 2.
I think full touch and pen is the best way forward, same screen on both sides.
Keyboard easily undocked for righthanders, lefthanders or put it right in the middle if needed.
It suits every need.
<< Nice! What I would personally like is having the palmrest all-screen (e-ink or matte AMOLED, is that a thing?) while keeping the real keyboard in the back. Good idea for the Surface Laptop Studio 2. >>
I think @Chucky 's design and the Neo are great, but for those dinosaurs among us (raises hand) who like actual tactile keys, keep the SLS design exactly as is, except replace the palm rest area with screen, maybe color e-ink. That way the user can choose to have the āpalm screen offā, and nothing would have changed, same great typing experience etc. But it would add an option to do most of the things that @Chucky shows.
@JoeS
I have no problem with dinos, I think there are plenty of models for them.
The whole point of this design is that it is for an entirely different crowd, if itās not for you then let it be.
This is for those who hold a pen all day or use touch , custom macros etc. and only reach for the keyboard to name a file or write an invoice.
If they really need to get typing use a detachable keyboard ( like I am right now).
This is all about the screens, not eink other any gymmick, full contact pen and touch ( throw in some haptics for fun)
Welcome Chucky (wait a minute, do you have red hair and a scar?).
Besides Neo, think back to the the original Surface Pro Touch Cover - not tactile keys, just a thin flat surface (pun intended) for typing in a pinch. Your idea brings this full circle, and we really only need a tactile keyboard when docked like a desktop (and then you can use a REAL keyboard, perhaps with a number pad, how quaint - exactly what I am doing now).
Touch cover doesnāt work if it needs to be docked to work for this kind of workflow.
I think the gif demonstrates well enough.
I do have red hair, pretty free of scars.
For people who need the physical keys typing option, you could have an optional Bluetooth thin detachable keyboard can would attached magnetically on top of the palm rest screen in easel mode.
I feel many hardware vendors are probably already circling around this idea (ie. Zenbook Pro Duo / ConceptD Ezel / Neo mashup).
However the Windows UX is holding back any of these unique form-factors from taking off the ground. Consider nearly a decade after the Surface Pro, touch/pen-based interfaces are still almost non-existent on the x86 platform.
There needs to be a dedicated software initiative (open-source or otherwise) to write plug-ins and UI extensions for the OS and the major application suites for this to succeed.
Seeing this reminded me to delve into my list of interesting/promising products for something Lenovo came up with years ago.
It turns out the page, if not the product, is still alive: https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/yoga-book/
Ok, itās not using the HP Elite folio / Surface studio laptop form factor as drawn and the disappearing haptic glass keyboard isnāt a second display unfortunately, but itās part way there!
Has anyone tried/owned one?
Personally, the HP ZBook X2 form works for me, since the keyboard can be used when detached, as it switches to Bluetooth - vital for Photoshop particularly, but also handy when typing on a train/plane, so I never understood why the Surface Pro type cover isnāt Bluetooth enabled.
I like the idea of having the lower half as a screen too though, so I think the ideal implementation for me would be a thin keyboard layer (a la type cover) with a trackpad, probably secured magnetically, that covers the lower screen and can easily be pulled off to reveal the lower screen and used wirelessly with one hand off to the side as required.
Iād prefer the lower screen to be slightly inclined, so itās more comfortable to draw on, as Iād never reach across/hover my hand over the keyboard area, to draw on the inclined upper screen out of choice.
If only the Yoga Book had two proper screensā¦ E ink is a bizarre idea.
I donāt think I could draw on the lower screen, it would kill my neck.
Some manufacturer has to bite the bullet and do this properly, stop trying to cater to gamers and journalists.
I just saw the project andromeda leak on a duo ( on windows central).
That certainly showed the intention behind embracing this form factor.
I was very excited about what the Neo might lead to, they were on the right track, I think the people who talked them out of that direction were small thinkers and Iām guessing, bed wetters.
