Laptop computers have offered few surprises in recent years, or even since their inception.
Sometimes compact, sometimes with better screens, they have certainly evolved, but rarely have they offered dazzling innovations.
The latest?
Computers that can be transformed into touch-screen tablets in the blink of an eye.
Today, however, the situation has changed, and laptops are getting a facelift and making a name for themselves.
Design: two screens or nothing
Working while keeping an eye on your e-mails, surfing the web while writing a document… Having two screens is very useful in many situations.
Manufacturers are well aware of this, and some have already begun to develop this functionality.
At HP, gamers are the target, as the brand has developed a dual-screen gaming computer that lets them play while watching Twitch on a 6-inch screen.
Asus, for its part, had already integrated a 5.5-inch screen in place of the trackpad.
This year, the Taiwanese manufacturer has chosen to add a second 4K screen just above the keyboard on its ZenBook Pro Duo.
Users thus benefit from a 14-inch screen in addition to the main 15-inch display.
Intel goes even further with its “Honeycomb glacier” model, combining a 15.6″ screen with a 12.3″ display.
The extra feature?
A double hinge that allows the two screens to be oriented and aligned for greater comfort over time.
Flexible screens, foldable screens, designers are not short of inspiration when it comes to screens, and this shows where they intend to head in the next few years.
Multiple screens: Microsoft must adapt to the trend
These multi-screen designs are promising, but it’s important to remember that in computing, hardware without software is nothing.
To get the most out of these dual-screen laptops, you need a compatible operating system.
Designers must therefore count on Microsoft to design a version of Windows adapted to dual-screen devices.
The Mountain View-based company is preparing for this with a lighter version of the operating system called Windows Lite.
Similar to the one we know today, the interface should be simpler, like Windows Phone Continuum.
To date, however, it’s hard to know whether work on this type of software is progressing, as Microsoft is keeping so quiet on the subject, despite having hinted at a “future modern operating system” for Windows.
Yet this is what will determine the future of these amazing and formidable PCs.
