Lenovo Showscases Dual Screen Laptop

[Hooch Tan]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/12/19/lenovo-ds-new-laptop-sports-two-screens/' target='_blank'>http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/12/1...ts-two-screens/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"This really doesn&rsquo;t look like something that will catch on, but it&rsquo;s certainly momentous. The Lenovo W700DS has one 17-inch display like its predecessor, and another 10-inch one that slides out from behind. Madness, you say? Yeah, I agree."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1230034929.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>I've always found that the extra screen real estate of a second monitor adds considerably to productivity and it has always frustrated me that laptops have always lacked an effective option to have a second monitor.&nbsp; Yes, many laptops do offer secondary displays, but hooking up an extra monitor, and positioning it to compliment the main display is quirky at best.&nbsp; While some my balk, I'm finding this new laptop from Lenovo deliciously tempting.&nbsp; While the 10 inch display is a bit small, it can still be useful for showing handy supporting information on whatever I'm working at.</p>

[Jason Dunn]

I think it's a neat idea - I've always been intrigued by the concept of extra displays, but I'm not sure this will be a winner given what appears to be the extra thickness required. I guess it's a first effort, so things will improve, but you'd have to REALLY want something like this to put up with the added size/weight of this laptop.

[Hooch Tan]

Agreed. I've worked off of dual displays on my desktop for years and while I've tried wide screen displays, it doesn't quite feel the same. Perhaps with some of the newer, thinner displays coming out, they'll be able to make this thinner, but I'd be willing to accept a thicker laptop for dual displays, since my intent would be a mobile workstation. The only problem with this one, is that the secondary display isn't wide enough to be practical for my use. I need two displays of at least 1024 wide.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

It's already huge as it is without the second display. This is a very niche product.

[Jason Dunn]

Agreed. I've worked off of dual displays on my desktop for years and while I've tried wide screen displays, it doesn't quite feel the same.

You mean two wide-screen displays, or one wide-screen display replacing two 4:3 displays? Two is always better than one IMO. :D I use two 24" wide-screen displays on my main workstation and it's awesome - but they're so wide I'd never want to move up to twin 27" or 30" monitors...24" is on the "too wide" threshold for me as-is.