Toshiba's 7in Libretto W100 was an interesting piece of technology, but it had its drawbacks. Namely, the fact that the unique PC sold-out before it even went on sale.
For those who didn't manage to get one for themselves, it looks like Acer might be preparing its own take on the concept. TechReviewSource has managed to obtain pictures of a development model dual-screen laptop that could be out within the year.
According to the source, the notebook has two 15in multitouch-displays, with one in place of the keyboard and trackpad. Other than the fact that it runs a 2.67GHz Intel Core i5 CPU and Windows 7, no further details are known about the hardware, though the huge screens certainly make for an interesting looking PC / digital notepad.
Apparently the interface is slow and buggy, but that shouldn't be too surprising for an early prototype.
The displays look absolutely luscious and offer far more space to work with than the W100. However, for our money, we would still need to see - as we did with Toshiba's effort - an intelligent way to use the screens. Replacing a keyboard and trackpad with touchscreen versions of the same isn't enough to jusify a presumably higher price-tag and the loss of tactile feedback.
However, if - and that's a big if - Acer is actively developing this kind of system, we're sure it'll find sensible ways for us to use what is essentially a completely new form-factor. It may look like a laptop, but this kind of device has a lot of potential beyond more-traditional computers. We also have faith that the company would be able to make it relatively affordable, despite the exotic hardware.
For now, we'll have to wait and see. However, the source says that a model like this could arrive at retail next autumn if it manages to make it past the development stage.
