Eye-Catching Idea: A Dual-Screen Laptop

Dec. 27 -- When it comes to computer displays, bigger is almost always better.

Many desktop computer users are now turning to ever larger monitors, using the bigger screens to display more panels of information. Some workers even turn to using multiple monitors to display complex data.

Now, a computer technology company in Harrisburg, Pa., wants to break the visual barrier with portable computers. For the last four years, Estari Inc., has been working on a laptop that could be considered a true "eye-catcher."

Estari's 2-VU machine is similar to other conventional laptop machines. With a low-power Intel microprocessor, 30 gigabyte hard drive and 256 megabytes of memory, the 2-VU even runs standard computer software such as Microsoft's Windows XP or Windows 2000.

But the real gem of the 2-VU is what it doesn't have. Instead of a keyboard, the 2-VU places a second LCD display screen in its place.

Robert Carberry, chief operating officer for Estari, says the idea is to provide mobile PC users a machine that gives them a wide view of computer data.

"There are a lot of industries where the workers use two monitors [with their desktop PCs] at the same time to multi-task," says Carberry. "The idea is to provide the power and benefit of dual screens in a mobile version."

Smart, But Pricey Machine

Both of the 2-VU display panels are touch-sensitive and are controlled by software and hardware created by Estari. Users can move "windows" of computer information — say, a Web page — between the two screens or stretch them across the displays as if they were one screen.

The software is also "smart" enough to know when the computer is in "portrait" mode, as if it was being used like an electronic book, or in "landscape" mode as in a traditional laptop computer.

Since the laptop lacks a "real" keyboard or mouse, Estari worked with other companies to develop software that understands notes and commands written on the screen using a plastic stylus. Users can also choose to have the computer display a virtual keyboard on one screen or connect an actual keyboard.