It is very difficult to imagine using a laptop without use of a keyboard, but then it is also an alien thought to heavily multi-task without more than one screen. Is this the answer?
Acer Iconia features two 14″ screens with the one sitting in place of a keyboard, providing a smilar experience to tablet users on-demand keyboard. Acer has also included a additional menu system that appears when five fingers are pressed down at once. So not for anyone wishing to wear gloves or down a digit.
Part of me is delighted, the ability to multi-task will be tremendous, but the tactile experience of a keyboard coupled with the F and J keys point of reference would be sorely missed. I guess the key benefit is the ability to choose. If out and about, you may find the experience very rewarding, consuming media on 2 screens, and when back in the office, hook up a real keyboard and possibly mouse. Only a matter of time before the laptop can be places like a open book in front of us, on a stand, with both halfs of the laptop providing duel display alternative.
Only problem I envisage is the simple fact that our spines won’t accomidate looking down that much. To get a good look at the 14″ keyboard screen, you will need to look down at a unhealthy angle, with the head leaning forward outside of a natural posture. Same as when we put a TFT screen too high, we get neck and shoulder pains, and if we have our seat too high and looking down, we get lower back pains.
Time will tell.
