Laptops have been a reasonably static product class for years now, arguably as a result of the everyday clamshell kind issue is definitely fairly good. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped corporations from attempting to innovate with new designs, for higher and worse. One of many iterations I discover extra intriguing is the dual-screen laptop computer, which takes the usual clamshell design and swaps the keyboard for a second show. When executed proper, I believe the dual-screen laptop computer could possibly be a really compelling productiveness machine – and Asus certain does it proper.
I’ve been testing the corporate’s new Zenbook Duo for just a few weeks and am totally impressed with the laptop computer. I’d go as far as to say it’s among the best dual-screen laptops on the market, and I a lot desire it to the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i I attempted final yr. I’ll dig into the comparability slightly extra under, however at a base stage, the Zenbook Duo manages to unravel most of the points I had with the Yoga Ebook whereas providing a equally productivity-boosting expertise.
After all, the Zenbook Duo is way from excellent, nevertheless it will get sufficient proper that I’d be comfy recommending it to folks seeking to amp up their on-the-go work expertise. I gained’t be utilizing any corny strains like “that is a simple approach to 2x your productiveness” – it actually isn’t – however having two screens at any time when I need is a significant increase once I have to get issues executed extra effectively.
The Zenbook Duo does come at a premium, beginning at $2,199 in Canada, however should you actually like having two shows, that price ticket is likely to be simpler to swallow.
Specs
- Show: 2x 14-inch 2880×1800 pixel OLED 16:10 120Hz shows with 500nits peak brightness
- Processor: Intel Core Extremely 9 185H
- Reminiscence: 32GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Dimensions: 31.35 x 21.79 x 1.46 ~ 1.99 cm
- Weight: 1.65kg (3.64lbs)
- Digital camera: Full HD digicam with IR operate for Home windows Hi there
- Working System: Home windows 11
- Battery: 75WHrs
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
- Sensors: n/a
- Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Sort-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio
- Graphics: Intel Arc graphics
Notice: the above specs are for my assessment unit — you’ll find all obtainable configurations here.
Extra than simply two screens taped collectively
Maybe the largest distinction between the Zenbook Duo and the Yoga Ebook 9i is that the Duo feels extra thought out and fewer like two screens taped collectively. Don’t get me fallacious, Lenovo’s Yoga Ebook 9i is a good machine, however functionally, it simply doesn’t evaluate to what Asus has executed with the Duo.
One of the best instance of that is the included keyboard attachment – vital to essentially make this dual-screen idea work. The Yoga Ebook 9i’s keyboard accent appears like an afterthought. There’s no simple approach to retailer it with the laptop computer. If you wish to use the Yoga Ebook in a laptop computer kind issue, the magnets don’t maintain the keyboard securely sufficient. There’s no trackpad.
An in depth-up of the contacts on the underside of the keyboard and on the underside of the second show.
With the Zenbook Duo, Asus solved all of those points. The keyboard accent is bigger, however features a full-function trackpad, an addition I didn’t know I needed till I attempted the Zenbook Duo. Furthermore, the Duo’s keyboard attaches securely to the underside display screen of the laptop computer. When connected, it turns the Duo right into a typical clamshell laptop computer – at a look, you may not even understand the keyboard comes off. Plus, the Zenbook Duo is designed to shut with the keyboard connected, so that you don’t have to fret about the place to retailer the keyboard once you’re on the transfer. One other added good thing about this setup is the keyboard can cost off the laptop computer (although I did have some charging points I’ll speak about extra under).
Positive, the Zenbook Duo isn’t as fairly because the Yoga Ebook 9i, nevertheless it’s much more sensible and I’ll take that over model any day. And since the laptop computer is designed to shut across the keyboard, it makes issues look slightly bizarre should you shut it with out the keyboard. Furthermore, it makes the Zenbook Duo fairly thick when closed, and it’s already thicker than your common laptop computer due to the extra show. None of those are dealbreakers although, and most often, I believe they’re honest tradeoffs to make for the advantages of an additional display screen.
One other sensible profit is the built-in kickstand. In comparison with the Yoga Ebook 9i’s foldable folio kickstand, the Zenbook Duo feels a lot sturdier. Plus, having an connected kickstand means one much less accent to recollect to deliver alongside once I exit. The one actual draw back in comparison with the Yoga Ebook’s folio stand is the Zenbook Duo doesn’t work nice in a vertical orientation – the offset shows and kickstand make for an unbalanced setup.
Sadly, whereas the kickstand does make the Duo extra sturdy than the Yoga Ebook, it doesn’t make it any higher on the subject of utilizing the Duo in your lap. You may put it in your lap in dual-screen mode, nevertheless it’s hardly a snug expertise and it doesn’t take a lot to unbalance the entire thing.
Additional software program is a hindrance greater than something
Just like the Yoga Ebook 9i, the Zenbook Duo contains a number of further software program options supposed to make the twin–display screen expertise higher. In my expertise, they’re usually both not that helpful or get in my method.
For instance, there are gestures to name up a digital keyboard and touchpad. However with the keyboard attachment being pretty much as good as it’s, I by no means felt like I wanted to make use of the digital choices. Plus, as somebody who varieties for a dwelling, the considered writing something longer than a sentence on a touchscreen fills me with dread.
One other instance is Asus’ included window administration shortcuts, which annoyed me to no finish. These seem once you begin dragging a window and should you transfer your cursor over the shortcuts after which let go, it’ll snap the window to both to prime or backside show. You may as well entry shortcuts to snap home windows to sure components of both show, corresponding to having the window snap to fill half or 1 / 4 of the display screen. In idea, it’s a helpful addition that makes it simpler to rapidly change home windows between shows. In follow, it nearly all the time bought in the way in which of the place I used to be really attempting to maneuver my window, and sometimes it felt in battle with Home windows 11’s built-in snap performance.
I encountered just a few different minor software program quibbles alongside the way in which as effectively. Typically the show brightness ranges would desync, leaving one show noticeably brighter than the opposite. Talking of brightness, the highest show can get dimmer than the underside show, resulting in an inconsistent expertise when working in darker environments. In one other occasion, the underside show stopped turning off when placing attaching the keyboard accent. After closing and opening the laptop computer, the underside show wouldn’t come again on. A reboot set issues proper, nevertheless it’d be good if there have been a approach to manually flip the shows on or off when such a factor occurs. In one other occasion, my desktop wallpapers disappeared solely for no obvious cause.
None of this stuff are main points, however bugs did sometimes make utilizing the Zenbook Duo extra annoying. Fortunately these points had been pretty minimal, however they had been current and value making be aware of. My Yoga Ebook 9i was expertise was additionally buggy, so it’s potential that dual-screen laptops want slightly extra tuning and polish.
Respectable efficiency, middling battery life
The Zenbook Duo’s efficiency is about what you’d count on from a laptop computer sporting Intel’s newest and best chip. My assessment unit had the Intel Core Extremely 9 185H paired with 32GB of RAM, and it dealt with every part I threw at it with out difficulty.
My typical work setup features a browser (normally Firefox or Edge, relying on my temper, however for an excellent chunk of time with the Duo I used to be utilizing the Arc Home windows beta), Slack, and Photoshop. It’s admittedly not the heaviest workload, however the Zenbook Duo nonetheless dealt with it effectively. It sports activities Intel’s Arc graphics for laptops, which had been adequate for enhancing pictures in Photoshop. I didn’t do any gaming on this explicit machine and it’s probably not a gaming laptop computer anyway — you would recreation on it, however don’t count on to play the most recent titles at excessive constancy with good framerates.
On the battery life aspect of issues, the Zenbook Duo isn’t a star. It’s not a lot of a shock, nonetheless. Driving two 2880 x 1800 decision 120Hz shows will take its toll on any battery. I discovered that, relying on my workload, I might kill the Duo’s battery in three or 4 hours when utilizing each screens. Naturally, issues are higher when attaching the keyboard and utilizing the Duo in single-screen laptop computer mode, although I wasn’t in a position to fairly get via a complete workday like that.
Past the laptop computer battery, you additionally want to fret concerning the wi-fi keyboard attachment’s battery. Within the early days of testing the Zenbook Duo, I bumped into a number of points with the keyboard attachment dying far too rapidly. After discussing the difficulty with Asus, it turned out to be a combination of issues. For one, the Zenbook Duo can recharge the keyboard attachment, however Asus limits charging to at least one hour when the laptop computer is on battery. Due to this, I had just a few cases the place I’d open the laptop computer within the morning and discover the keyboard almost lifeless as a result of I hadn’t plugged the laptop computer in in a single day, and it stopped recharging the keyboard.
Asus instructed me the keyboard accent ought to final round a day with the backlight turned on or a few week with it off, although that’s with intermittent use. Given I kind loads for work, I couldn’t get the keyboard to final a full week with the backlight off and, for a stretch, I used to be barely making it via an eight-hour work day. Nevertheless, over the assessment interval, the attachment appeared to right itself and I used to be in a position to comfortably get via a pair days on a single cost with the backlight off. I additionally famous that Home windows reveals the battery stage of the keyboard accent within the Bluetooth menu, however I discovered it to be pretty inaccurate. In a single occasion, Home windows confirmed the battery stage drop by 50 p.c in about an hour, however then confirmed the keyboard at seven p.c for an additional three hours.
These keyboard battery points aren’t precisely dealbreakers, however they are often irritating, particularly if you find yourself caught with a lifeless keyboard. Fortunately you may simply connect the accent and use the Zenbook Duo as an everyday laptop computer, however I most popular avoiding that as a lot as I might.
