Livin’ on a pair
Are two laptop screens really better than one? Asus certainly thinks so, judging by its unique laptop that doubles up on the full-width displays…
£1599 / stuff.tv/duo14
The Asus Zenbook Duo 14
(sexy codename UX482EG) is a groundbreaking machine cramming two high-resolution displays into its 14in frame. The dual-screen design takes aim at creatives who find one screen restrictive, and the Zenbook bolsters those displays with Intel 11th-gen internals and claims of brilliant battery life.
In its dapper suit of dark blue magnesium alloy it looks really quite fantastic, and lifting the lid engages two clever mechanisms that kick it into life. The first is the Ergolift hinge, which lifts the laptop’s rear upwards and angles the keyboard towards you for easier typing. The other tilts that secondary display forwards to improve viewing angles and let air in to cool the components below it.
It’s a smooth operator and the build quality is excellent… but is that uniquely expansive second screen a genuine gamechanger or a gimmick?
Slick thick
This Asus is slick, but adding a second screen does introduce compromises. It weighs 1.58kg and is 17mm thick (1). Neither figure is ruinous, but both compare badly to the most popular small creative notebook, the Apple Macbook Pro 13in (see panel), at 1.4kg and 15.6mm respectively.
Angle wrangle
The main 14in screen (3) is a 1080p IPS touchscreen. Colour accuracy is excellent, but both panels are flawed. The Screenpad’s low angle makes it ideal for secondary apps but it can be a bit washed out; the main display nails SRGB imagery but can’t handle Adobe RGB or HDR colour gamuts.
Dissed wrist
Because of the Screenpad, Asus has had to push the keyboard and trackpad forward (4). That means little room to rest your wrists, a single-height return key and tiny cursor buttons. The buttons are decent, with pleasing snap and speed, but the cramped keyboard takes some getting used to.
Mouse nous
The trackpad is so narrow that one swipe over the pad doesn’t allow the cursor to travel across the whole display, and the two buttons (5) are a little soft. It’s another area where Apple wins… although you can always solve the Zenbook’s trackpad issues by using a USB mouse.