12 Unique Computers, Tablets and Gadgets That Are Just Around the Bend

Asus Taichi Dual-Screen Ultrabooks

Asus

In the not-too-distant future, we’ll see no shortage of hybrid tablets – specifically tablets that dock into optional keyboards. We’ll also see laptops with touchscreens that swivel around for tablet-like use when the laptop is closed (this isn’t a new concept: Microsoft’s Windows XP Tablet PC edition leveraged such a form factor roughly a decade ago).

With the Taichi, however, Asus has taken a different angle on the hybrid concept. You get what functions like a standard, non-touchscreen, super-slim Ultrabook except that the machine features a second touchscreen on the flip-side of the main screen.

Basically, you can use the Taichi as a Windows 8 Ultrabook, or fold the screen down to use it as a Windows 8 tablet. Engadget says the “displays can be used independently, so you can even share the device with a friend — with completely different content on each LCD.”

The Taichi line will be available later this year in 11.6- and 13.3-inch versions, though exact pricing and availability haven’t been set yet.

More coverage:

• Asus Taichi: a dual-display Windows 8 laptop/tablet hybrid (hands-on video) [The Verge]
• ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook/tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays [Engadget]
• Asus Taichi: A laptop with a double-sided display [Pocket-lint]
• Video: ASUS Taichi Notebook Has Second Screen on Back of Lid [Laptop]

Next: MSI Slider S20 Ultrabook