There's also the Razer Project Valerie that has triple displays on a laptop, or this product that can be used as an attachment to an existing laptop to give it triple displays. And then of course there are portable USB-C displays that can run on USB power like the ASUS MB16AC, which I actually have. That way you can have dual displays when you want them without having permanent extra bulk on your system.
It's been done. ASUS has the Zenbook Pro Duo, and before that Lenovo had a ThinkPad W Series that had a second display that could be pulled out like a drawer from behind the first display. And then there's the Microsoft Surface Neo that was announced a while ago but hasn't arrived yet.
This idea has been tried several times in various configurations by different manufacturers, going all the way back to a Lenovo mobile workstation back in 2009 or so that would break your shoulder trying to lug it around. Manufacturing cost and complexity increase by a lot compared to a conventional laptop, so they are premium products, priced accordingly.
On the road I use a USB-powered portable monitor. There are several on the market from around $100 to over $400, including touch-screen models, so there are choices to fit most needs and budgets.
I chose an ASUS (because Dell doesn't make one: hint, hint!) Zenscreen 15.6-inch 1920x1080. Color and brightness are more than good enough for an extended desktop while I work in Photoshop or Premiere Pro on the main screen, and it's good-looking enough that it doesn't look hokey beside an XPS 15.
Among other advantages, it's very light and less than 1/4 inch thick, so it doesn't add weight or take up lots of space while traveling. The body is metal and is plenty rigid and strong enough to live in my road case with the laptop.
Two less-obvious advantages: it works in portrait or landscape mode and I can use it with any other laptop if my regular road warrior is out of action for some reason. And of course I can put it to the right or left, portrait or landscape, whichever is more convenient for the space I'm working in at the time.
Laptops last about 3 years before they get outdated (graphic design, video and 3D apps push hardware to the limit). A modern monitor, on the other hand, has at least 10 years of life in it--one of many reasons I won't buy an all-in-one for my desktop.
You may want to look into portable USB-C displays. Dell finally introduced one of their own. It’s a nice way to have dual displays (or even more) on the road without waiting for laptops to arrive that have them built in, which I still don’t really see happening, at least not at a level that will offer much product choice. I have a Lenovo ThinkVision M14 display and love it.
I think it is definitely possible to design such a laptop, and in fact, there are already some laptops available in the market with a secondary screen. For example, some gaming laptops have a secondary screen that can be used to display game stats or a video chat window while gaming.
Overall, I think your idea is interesting and could be useful for many users who require a dual-screen setup on the go. It would be interesting to see if any laptop manufacturers explore this concept further.
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
0
June 29th, 2020 13:00
There's also the Razer Project Valerie that has triple displays on a laptop, or this product that can be used as an attachment to an existing laptop to give it triple displays. And then of course there are portable USB-C displays that can run on USB power like the ASUS MB16AC, which I actually have. That way you can have dual displays when you want them without having permanent extra bulk on your system.
jphughan
9 Legend
•
14K Posts
0
June 29th, 2020 13:00
It's been done. ASUS has the Zenbook Pro Duo, and before that Lenovo had a ThinkPad W Series that had a second display that could be pulled out like a drawer from behind the first display. And then there's the Microsoft Surface Neo that was announced a while ago but hasn't arrived yet.
MacAndroid
1 Message
0
July 22nd, 2020 09:00
I'm looking forward to the arrival of dual screen laptops as I am far more productive on two screens.
notabot
1 Rookie
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5 Posts
0
February 5th, 2021 23:00
This idea has been tried several times in various configurations by different manufacturers, going all the way back to a Lenovo mobile workstation back in 2009 or so that would break your shoulder trying to lug it around. Manufacturing cost and complexity increase by a lot compared to a conventional laptop, so they are premium products, priced accordingly.
On the road I use a USB-powered portable monitor. There are several on the market from around $100 to over $400, including touch-screen models, so there are choices to fit most needs and budgets.
I chose an ASUS (because Dell doesn't make one: hint, hint!) Zenscreen 15.6-inch 1920x1080. Color and brightness are more than good enough for an extended desktop while I work in Photoshop or Premiere Pro on the main screen, and it's good-looking enough that it doesn't look hokey beside an XPS 15.
Among other advantages, it's very light and less than 1/4 inch thick, so it doesn't add weight or take up lots of space while traveling. The body is metal and is plenty rigid and strong enough to live in my road case with the laptop.
Two less-obvious advantages: it works in portrait or landscape mode and I can use it with any other laptop if my regular road warrior is out of action for some reason. And of course I can put it to the right or left, portrait or landscape, whichever is more convenient for the space I'm working in at the time.
Laptops last about 3 years before they get outdated (graphic design, video and 3D apps push hardware to the limit). A modern monitor, on the other hand, has at least 10 years of life in it--one of many reasons I won't buy an all-in-one for my desktop.
jphughan
9 Legend
•
14K Posts
0
July 6th, 2021 08:00
Haven’t used it. My current portable display is a Lenovo ThinkVision M14.
ATRICAN
1 Message
0
July 7th, 2021 22:00
This is a good thread and I am interested in the ideas that surface!
Pitions
1 Message
0
July 27th, 2021 00:00
Over all laptop is to going smart version where user can manage every thing with help of technology
jphughan
9 Legend
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14K Posts
0
November 11th, 2021 07:00
You may want to look into portable USB-C displays. Dell finally introduced one of their own. It’s a nice way to have dual displays (or even more) on the road without waiting for laptops to arrive that have them built in, which I still don’t really see happening, at least not at a level that will offer much product choice. I have a Lenovo ThinkVision M14 display and love it.
Parfum
1 Message
0
February 21st, 2022 07:00
I'm having the same problem.
meharg
7 Posts
0
March 25th, 2022 04:00
I'm looking forward to the advent of dual screen laptops as I am significantly more productive on two screens.
Samriz19
2 Posts
0
February 17th, 2023 07:00
I think it is definitely possible to design such a laptop, and in fact, there are already some laptops available in the market with a secondary screen. For example, some gaming laptops have a secondary screen that can be used to display game stats or a video chat window while gaming.
Overall, I think your idea is interesting and could be useful for many users who require a dual-screen setup on the go. It would be interesting to see if any laptop manufacturers explore this concept further.