Eye-Catching Idea: A Dual-Screen Laptop

Dec. 27, 2003 -- 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.

Carberry says that the military expressed some interests in the laptop and tested them with select personnel at an undisclosed U.S. Air Force base. But he says that other industries could be interested in the laptops.

"We're working in a couple of different areas, such as the medical profession and a whole bunch of other professions," says Estari. "Imagine, for example, a medical application where a digital X-ray would be on the left screen, while the doctor takes down notes on the patient on the other."

Prices for the 2-VU are expected to start at about $4,000 for models with screens that measure 13 inches. Larger versions with 15-inch screens and other features such as wireless networking could cost as much as $6,000.

Such stiff price tags aren't likely to attract consumers to the devices when they become available early next year. And industry analysts wonder if even businesses would spend that much on an unproven computer format. For example, so-called Tablet PCs have so far failed to come of age despite more than ten years of tinkering by the computer industry.

Carberry admits that the initial run of 2-VUs are priced out of most consumers' reach. But he says the company plans to produce a consumer version late next summer that will feature less expensive 10-inch screens. "They'll be a little more attractive in terms of price for consumers," he says.