Dual-screen E Ink reader doubles as a laptop for double productivity

Just like smartphones, laptops are undergoing a bit of change and experimentation with foldable, dual-screen, or even transparent laptops coming out of the woodwork. It’s only a matter of time before that trend makes its way to other devices, though there are signs of that happening in the e-book reader industry already. E-readers, as they are called, are breaking out of their shell, and some are even Android tablets that just happen to use e-paper displays. Compared to this unexpected design, however, those Android-powered E Ink readers sound almost unambitious, because this particular device actually puts together two E Ink displays to offer an almost literal book reader, a notebook, and a laptop all rolled into one.

Designer: LCFC (Hefei) (a Lenovo subsidiary)

Dual-screen laptops might not be new to our ears after the aborted Microsoft Surface Duo, the ASUS ZenBook Duo, and the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. The idea behind this design is to bring the same dual-screen experience some users enjoy on desktops to the laptop without completely losing the advantage of portability. That use case might make perfect sense for a laptop that runs a conventional operating system with plenty of applications, but it isn’t as straightforward for e-book readers, even the ones running Android.

And yet, that’s exactly what the Gemini “Dual Screens Wisdom E-Ink Book” is trying to do, albeit with a slightly different focus. It connects two 7.8-inch E Inks screens using a 360-degree hinge that lets you fold it close like a book or fold it in the opposite direction completely to transform it into a tablet. In addition to reading, the device is designed to make it more natural to write down notes, possibly on what you’re reading. Note-taking is so central to the Gemini’s purpose that other features are framed in that perspective.

You can, for example, fold it half upright like a laptop for typing out notes. Of course, you’ll have to make do with an on-screen keyboard, but typing on an E Ink screen is notoriously awkward, uncomfortable, and inefficient, far worse than typing on a regular LCD or OLED display. You could potentially connect a Bluetooth keyboard, though that does lose the charm of being able to use this as a laptop. The Gemini also has a stylus you can write with, but the more interesting aspect of the pen is the detachable microphone module that you can use to record voice notes or even lectures.

The design of the Gemini is actually a bit peculiar thanks to an extended edge that’s thicker than the rest of the device. Not only is this where most of the electronics are housed, but it also seems to have controls like a dial and buttons, almost reminiscent of those display tablets for drawing. When using the Gemini like a laptop, you will be resting your wrist on this “bump,” but that will actually force you to reach further down to actually type on the E Ink screen, not to mention you risk triggering those buttons. There is no definite word yet on when and where the Gemini will launch, but it will happen sometime this year, though it remains to be seen whether it will elicit the same interest as dual-screen laptops.

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Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop is a stunning preview of the future

Laptops are getting more powerful each year, but aside from the hardware upgrades, the basic design of these portable computers hasn’t changed significantly in the past decade. Yes, they are getting thinner and lighter while still delivering much-needed performance, but the clamshell design has still reigned supreme despite the conception of detachables and convertibles. That said, we might be on the cusp of a major design shift in this product segment while still holding tightly to that standard design. From dual-display and foldable laptops, new technologies are enabling new laptop designs that tickle the imagination and challenge the status quo. At MWC 2024, Lenovo is pushing the boundaries even further with a laptop that both delights the eyes and boggles the mind thanks to its transparent display.

Designer: Lenovo

Transparent displays are the stuff of science fiction, originally just eye candy designed to amaze viewers and inspire dreams of the future. Over time, it has also become the goal of many display manufacturers, and we’re finally starting to see the technology making its way into signages and even TVs at home. While new products are showing off what’s possible, the Lenovo ThinkPad Transparent Display Laptop proof of concept is really testing the limits of what you can do with such a screen, especially when you need to actually create content rather than just watch videos.

This concept product is the world’s first laptop with a 17.3-inch Micro LED transparent display, or practically the world’s first laptop with a transparent display of any size. And it’s truly a sight to behold, almost no different from those hi-tech transparent screens that have become a staple of almost any sci-fi show or film. It’s mind-blowing how you can clearly application windows and their contents while still getting a glimpse of what’s behind the screen. Even more magical is seeing only certain parts of the screen become “opaque” when it’s displaying an object, leaving the rest of the screen completely transparent.

Lenovo isn’t stopping there, though, and it has unsurprisingly found a way to inject some AI into that feature. It uses AI-Generated Content to display dynamic images or overlay information depending on the physical objects behind the transparent screen. In a sense, the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop integrates the physical and digital worlds not just visually but also through actual interaction between these two spaces. All thanks to artificial intelligence, of course.

That isn’t the only novelty that Lenovo is bringing to this proof-of-concept laptop. To really drive home that futuristic image, this ThinkBook does away with the conventional physical keyboard and instead uses a capacitive glass surface for typing. This surface also transforms into a drawing pad with an active stylus. This technology isn’t actually new to Lenovo, which launched an innovative yet also short-lived Yoga Book in 2016. In theory, this kind of display-based keyboard opens the door to customization and flexibility, but the ergonomics of such a device is just too poor to be worth the fancy features. Still, it’s hard to deny that this dazzling Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop shows the possible future we will be facing, and the fact that this proof-of-concept design is already in such a usable state suggests we’re not that far from making those fantasy devices a reality.

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Odd laptop for creatives has a 7-inch tablet beside its keyboard

Laptops are extremely powerful machines designed to cater to a wide range of users, but some are designed to address the specific needs of a few. Bulky gaming laptops cram all the power possible in a portable machine, while a few “convertibles” straddle the fine line between laptop and tablet to offer artists and designers a digital tool for their work. This rather curious laptop seems to fall somewhere with the latter group, with a somewhat unique feature not found in any other laptop. Instead of the laptop screen supporting touch and pen input, it puts what is basically a 7-inch tablet to the right of the keyboard, offering a second screen that can also be used to write and draw on. Definitely an interesting proposition, but one that comes with too many caveats that make it less than ideal even for its target audience.

Designer: Topton

To be clear, this actually isn’t the first time this kind of distinctive design landed before our eyes. At CES 2022, Lenovo showed off the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 with exactly that very feature. It positioned this design as the perfect solution for power multi-taskers, providing a second screen for showing information on the side, a digital pad for scribbling meeting notes, or a small canvas for drawing. Great on paper, but the implementation left plenty to be desired. Worse, its $2,000 price tag at the time of its launch made it something that only adventurous spirits would want to risk getting.

Lenovo ThinkPad Plus Gen 3

Lenovo ThinkPad Plus Gen 3

Chinese manufacturer Topton is trying to address one of those issues with the Topton L10, a 15.6-inch laptop with the exact same setup. It compresses the laptop’s keyboard and shoves it off to the left side to make room for a 7-inch touchscreen display that acts as a second monitor. And yes, it can work with a stylus, though it’s not clear whether it’s the same pressure-sensitive technology used by the likes of Wacom, a brand that digital creatives are very familiar with. Plus, you need to buy that stylus separately as well.

The biggest difference between the Lenovo original and this Topton L10 is the specs. You’re only getting an Intel Celeron N5095, one of the weakest from the chipmaker’s catalog, though also advertised to be more power efficient. And with 16GB of memory, it’s meeting only the minimum requirements for today’s creative software, not to mention limiting your multi-tasking capabilities. The display resolution of both screens is also a lot lower, which means it isn’t even good for doing art and design. It does have RGB backlights for the keyboard, stereo speakers, and a fingerprint scanner, features you wouldn’t expect from this price point, but last-gen Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 also cap this computer’s potential.

As for that price point, the Topton L10 starts at $329 for a 128GB SSD drive, quite a ridiculously low amount of storage space these days, especially for a Windows 11 computer. The price tag might look tempting at first, but given the overall package, this unusual spin on the dual-screen laptop concept remains just a novelty that won’t be able to meet the high expectations that it sets up.

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Lenovo Mechanical Energy Harvesting keyboard-mouse combo channels your fidgety into limitless power

Solar-powered keyboard and mouse are nothing new to the industry, but Lenovo wants to take the gauntlet further. At CES 2024, the Hong Kong-based consumer electronics giant revealed a unique keyboard and mouse combo that uses mechanical movement and solar irradiation to power things up. That means, no need to worry about changing batteries or exposing your peripherals to natural light.

The concept props up from the limitation of solar panels on cloudy days or in darker rooms without much ambient light. The mouse comes with a crank at the bottom while the keyboard has a kinetic dial on the top left corner. So, as you read an article on the internet you could channel your anxious vibes into charging the battery of the combo peripherals.

Designer: Lenovo

Still in the concept stage, the creation dubbed “Mechanical Energy Harvesting Combo” also gets solar panels on the keyboard to take advantage of natural or room light. I find the spinning dial on the keyboard to be more practical than the crank on the mouse which required more conscious effort. According to Lenovo, for five minutes of spinning, the keyboard gets another 30 minutes of added battery charge.

Lenovo has got all bases covered as there is a USB-C port on the back for times when you prefer the surety of manual wired charging. Other than that there is a customary three-position switch for toggling the RF dongle, wired USB, or Bluetooth connection.

For the mouse, Lenovo chose an embedded ring on a pivot that can be raised and then rotated for the crank motion. A minute of winding gives around 30 minutes of charge time. Quite an effort though, but still something different that Lenovo has tried to create. As for the regular specifications, the software-programable mouse to 12,800 dpi has a good in-hand feel. There are the scroll buttons, side snipping button, resolution switcher, shortcut buttons and toggle switch.

There is no word yet if this concept combo will make it to the commercial market, still, it’s highly plausible if Lenovo manages to fit in more functionality and hardware innovation. I’m pretty sure the keyboard seems like a good bet but the mouse crank motion needs to graduate into something more practical.

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