[Daily Science and Technology Network]
From the beginning, it was rumored that the folding flexible screen mobile phone would be launched. By February this year, Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X folding screen mobile phones were born one after another, and the industry completed the leap from 0 to 1 in one fell swoop. From everyone’s heated discussion about whether the folding screen forms of Samsung Fold and Huawei Mate X are folded inside or outside, or whether the price of 2,000 US dollars or 2,299 euros is high, it means that although the folding screen mobile phone has appeared, whether it can be used on a large scale still needs to be marked with a question mark. Aside from smartphones, the concept of Windows 10 dual-screen notebook was actually released earlier, so where is the previously announced Windows 10 dual-screen notebook device? What problems will you encounter? IT is worth discussing with the netizens of IT House.
The concept of dual-screen notebook was born.
One of the most important stimulating factors in the birth of dual-screen and foldable screen of smart phones is the display of large-screen content. As for dual-screen notebook, the area of single screen is actually large enough, so the author recognizes that dual-screen notebook is a new form of tablet computer, which expands from single screen to dual screen, thus greatly improving productivity.
Speaking of "tablet computer", it is reported that this concept was first put forward by Microsoft at the computer distributor exhibition conference held in Las Vegas in autumn 2001. But the real prototype of the equipment was the later Microsoft Courier, and it was like a brochure from the beginning.
Microsoft Courier is the code name of Booklet PC rumored by Microsoft. It was reported in 2008 and the project was cancelled in 2010. The device will include dual touch screens facing each other in the shape of a booklet, and input will be made using a stylus and finger touch. Microsoft has previously said that it is indeed incubating and developing the device, but it will not release the device. The device will hinge like a book, and when the book is closed, the seven-inch screen will fold in half. It also includes a 3-megapixel camera that supports 4x zoom. The report shows that the system is mainly developed outside the normal development channels, and only a few major engineers know the existence of the project. This project is considered as the successor of Codex and InkSeine, which are two early research works of Microsoft.
Microsoft previously classified the project as an "incubation" project, which is further than the "research" project, but has not yet entered the commercial channel. In October 2017, several media reported that Microsoft was developing a new foldable screen device, code-named "Andromeda", which was based on the concept of Courier.
However, since then, with the birth of Apple iPad, the concept of tablet computer has been carried forward. Microsoft’s Surface tablet computer pioneered the Windows 2-in-1 tablet computer, and finally gained a firm foothold after ups and downs.
The concept of dual-screen notebook can be simply regarded as a tablet computer device with two touchable screens connected by hinges. So far, OEMs including Microsoft, Lenovo, Asus and Dell have put forward the concept of dual-screen notebook, but there is not much difference in concept.
So far, several Windows 10 dual-screen notebook devices have appeared, bringing new application scenarios.
Lenovo YOGA Book 2 notebook: electronic ink screen
IT House reported that at Lenovo Innovation Conference 2018, Lenovo released YOGA Book 2, a Windows 10 dual-screen notebook. The highlight of this product is that both the B side and the C side of the notebook are screens, and the physical keyboard is replaced by an electronic ink screen.
Lenovo YOGA Book 2 has a 10.8-inch LCD screen on the B side, with a resolution of 2560*1600, a screen pixels per inch of 281ppi and a brightness of 400nit, which supports touch.
In the application of dual-screen scenes, like the previous generation, the C-plane of YOGA Book 2 is also a screen. The E-Ink keyboard and electronic ink screen replace the traditional physical keyboard, which can be used for vibration and sound reminder when typing. Through dynamic key image, simulated key effect and vibration feedback; Simulate the typing feeling of physical keyboard through auditory, visual and tactile feedback.
The electronic ink screen on the C side is 10.8 inches, and that of pixels per inch is 204ppi. In terms of the use and writing experience of C-plane electronic ink screen, Windows Ink can achieve excellent cooperation effect with E-Ink hand-drawn board. The original handwriting is recorded, and electronic recognition is supported at the same time. It has 4096-level pressure-sensitive pen touch recognition and supports intelligent optimization of graphics functions.
Users can not only write on any screen, but Lenovo said that the electronic ink screen can also be used as a PDF reader, which can save battery power. When not used as a display, the electronic ink screen doubles as a keyboard, and Lenovo also adds a slight equidistant gradient to simulate the appearance of three-dimensional keys. You can even turn the virtual trackpad on and off for extra space.
On Lenovo YOGA Book 2, we have seen the scene application of the secondary screen electronic ink screen. One of the important scenes is to simulate the physical keyboard for typing, but in all fairness, the experience of typing on the touch screen is still not as good as that of the physical mechanical keyboard, but so far, Lenovo YOGA Book 2 is the most perfect dual-screen notebook device, and it has been put on sale.
Intel Tiger Rapids prototype
At the Taipei Computer Show in June 2018, Intel displayed a series of concept prototype products Tiger Rapids dual-screen notebooks. According to reports, the left side of Tiger Rapids is equipped with a 7.9-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1080P; On the right is the electronic paper display screen (EPD), which can be used for writing. There is a hinge between the two screens, which allows the device to fold like a notebook.
IT House reported that Intel’s prototype device further demonstrated the application scenario of dual-screen notebook, which can not only display content independently, but also perform collaborative operation. The left side of Tiger Rapids is equipped with a 7.9-inch LCD screen with 1080P resolution; On the right is the electronic paper display screen (EPD), which can be used for writing. There is a hinge between the two screens, which allows the device to fold like a notebook.
However, Intel’s dual-screen notebook device may not eventually go to the market, and it is still in the exploration stage.
Asus PROJECT PRECOG concept machine
IT House reported that at the Taipei Computer Show in June, 2012, ASUS introduced a new concept of Windows 8 "Tai Chi Ben", which is a hybrid deformation device of notebook computer and tablet computer. It adopts dual-screen design, opens the cover to enter notebook mode, and covers the cover to be the tablet computer. In recent years, Nubian X and vivo NEX dual-screen versions just launched adopt similar concepts and apply them to smart phone devices.
At the Taipei Computer Show in June, 2018, Asustek released a displayable PROJECT PRECOG dual-screen notebook concept machine, which can be reversed and has a sense of the future. At the same time, the official said that under the blessing of AI, the efficiency of processing Excel and other software will be greatly improved.
Due to the dual-screen design, the keyboard must also be replaced by a touch-sensitive virtual keyboard, which is officially called Intelligent Touch. As can be seen in the figure, the keyboard adopts a punk-style circular design with an oversized virtual touchpad below.
PROJECT PRECOG dual-screen notebook is equipped with reading mode, which can simulate the book turning effect of physical books by placing the notebook on its side. In addition, it supports dual-screen tiling, which realizes the effect that the dual-screen can be reversed by 180 degrees.
Microsoft Surface Andromeda Concept Device
Microsoft’s Surface Andromeda device is still in rumors and concepts. Now we can learn more about the characteristics of Surface Andromeda dual-screen device through related patents.
According to the breaking news compiled by IT House before, one of the dual-screen devices of Surface Andromeda is a pocket device, but we will not discuss it here for the time being. In fact, Surface Andromeda is more suitable for dual-screen devices of ordinary notebook size.
According to Microsoft’s dual-screen patents in recent years, Microsoft’s Surface dual-screen devices also support hinge connection. You don’t have to worry about Microsoft’s hinge technology. This advantage is reflected in Surface Book and Surface Studio.
This patent shows a device with an obvious hinge with a first part and a second part, which include a flexible display screen that can be bent to form new elements.
In addition, Microsoft’s new patent will also solve the problem of the size of the border of dual-screen equipment. If the gap between the borders between the two screens is too large, the display effect will be greatly reduced. Therefore, when the screen can be tiled into 180 degrees, the smaller the gap between the two screens, the better the display effect will be. This is not limited to the use of flexible display screens, especially for the use of two independent display screens.
In the imaging system, Microsoft obviously has its own plans for dual-screen folding devices. Microsoft previously applied for the patent of "three-way video call on hinged multi-screen devices".
The patented mobile computing device is equipped with a processor, an accelerometer and two display screens. Interestingly, both displays are equipped with cameras. So configured, the device will "make the first and second display devices display the image data captured by the second camera and the image data received from the remote computer device at the same time".
From the above, we can also see that even in the hardware design, dual-screen notebook equipment is not simply connecting two screens. Dual-screen notebook is not a simple 1+1=2, but it should be innovative and breakthrough, and strive to create the effect of 1+1 > 2, but it cannot be too complicated.
Why do people buy dual-screen notebooks?
If you want users to buy a product, then it will involve demand, and with demand, people will have the motivation to buy. Is there any demand for foldable screen equipment worth buying at present? The author believes that the first thing is the increase of screen area, and the other is the innovation of software system.
In the previously released Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X, the hardware is full of innovation, showing the complete hardware form of foldable screen. But in software, Android system does not bring revolutionary changes, but simply enlarges and shrinks the screen, just like the conversion between smart phones and tablets, but in fact, dual-screen devices should not be limited to the display area.
For dual-screen notebooks, although the Windows 10 system has been customized for some OEMs, many Shell at the bottom and top of the system need more changes and thinking from Microsoft, a system software vendor. How to adapt to dual-screen or foldable screens through the reform of Windows 10?
Recently, after Andromeda, Microsoft was exposed to be building a lightweight Windows 10 system, or Windows Lite, code-named "Santorini". Windows Lite aims to run Progressive Web Apps(PWA) and Windows 10 App Store applications.
The report also revealed that Microsoft’s new platform is adapting to two new designs-Centaurus and Pegasus. As previously rumored, Centaurus is a dual-screen device, and Pegasus is suitable for two-in-one and notebook computers that we are all familiar with.
In addition, the Windows 10 Lite system is also adapted for dual-screen and folding-screen devices, and also supports the operation of Windows 10 ARM environment. It can be said that Windows 10 Lite represents Microsoft’s ambition and prospect for lightweight operating system.
Microsoft has publicly stated that the Windows team is divided into Windows Core OS and Shell parts. Based on Windows Core OS, different Shells are installed on different devices. Microsoft has begun to try new shell interfaces on HoloLens 2 and Surface Hub 2X. So not surprisingly, we will also see a brand-new Shell interface on the new Windows 10 dual-screen device, and Windows 10 Lite will be one of them.
IT House reported that in terms of dual-screen devices, Microsoft has introduced API in the form of UWP TwoPaneView, allowing developers to create views of their UWP applications, which can be placed side by side or stacked.
Other new APIs allow developers to determine the state of hinges, whether they are flat, convex and notebook-like, concave and tent, and make UWP applications respond appropriately.
In addition, on the dual-screen notebook device, it can also be applied to the functions such as the screen-turning and rotating display of the App application. When the dual-screen device flips the screen, the application display can be adjusted between several screens, and the natural full-screen display state can be guaranteed.
The display status of the application on the dual-screen notebook needs to be adjusted at any time according to the different flipping situations of the screen, which is the advantage of the dual-screen notebook and the complexity of the design. It is necessary to ensure the integration of software and hardware between the Windows 10 system itself and the sensors of the dual-screen device.
In terms of key input, Microsoft also applied for a new patent, explaining how to improve the virtual keyboard typing experience, including the current smartphone screen.
Embodiments relate to controlling symbols output by a virtual keyboard using a touch input pressure feature pointing to the virtual keyboard. Specifically, when interacting with the virtual keyboard, physical touch pressure directed at the displayed virtual keyboard is sensed and included in a corresponding touch input provided to the virtual keyboard. In the process of determining what symbols the virtual keyboard outputs, the virtual keyboard will consider the pressure characteristics of touch input. The touch input pressure characteristic pointing to the virtual keyboard can control which symbol is output by activating the touch input virtual key. Pressure can also or alternatively trigger the output symbol to change words or symbols (e.g., capitalization, selecting diacritical marks, applying visual effects) instead of key activation.
However, the author believes that the current pressure characteristics of touch screen input can’t catch up with the physical mechanical keyboard, and the accuracy and rapidity of input may be enhanced through the identification of virtual vibration and other signs. In addition, due to the addition of the touch screen, the application scenarios of the Surface Pen stylus will be greatly enhanced, and dual screens will bring more possibilities.
However, at present, because there are not many dual-screen notebook devices, and the Shell interface of Microsoft Windows 10 system is not ready, the most widely used application of dual-screen is to expand another screen, which is already a icing on the cake in Windows 10 system. Dual-screen or multi-screen separation devices that usually only appear in fixed locations such as offices can also appear on mobile devices such as dual-screen notebooks, which has to be said to be the improvement of productivity configuration.
Summary: Dual-screen notebook is good, but there is still a long way to go.
Generally speaking, the author believes that although the dual-screen notebook is no longer a conceptual product, it has not yet entered our daily life on a large scale. Besides the inertia thinking such as the discomfort of typing on the big screen, there are also doubts about the demand for dual-screen equipment experience. The C-touch screen of the dual-screen notebook must first meet the good typing experience and touch experience, and more C-screen operation scenarios need to be expanded on this basis.
In addition, the price of Windows 10 dual-screen notebook is at least much more expensive than that of the single-screen version. At present, the software and application of Windows 10 system have not fully liberated the second-screen experience, and consumers may only pay more for displaying more screen content, but it has not brought about a complete innovation in interaction, and their psychological expectations may be greatly reduced, reducing users’ expectations and satisfaction with dual-screen notebook devices.
If it is the right time to launch a dual-screen notebook, first of all, the keyboard input of C screen needs to pass. In addition, the Windows 10 system brings about changes, adapts to the dual-screen scene, and brings more intelligent switching experience exploration.
Extreme Yue 07 and Extreme Krypton 007 are both products under the vast framework of SEA. Extreme Yue 07 is positioned as a medium-sized and large-sized pure electric car, with the guide price of 209,900 yuan to 299,900 yuan, but the limited-time preferential price is 199,900-289,900 yuan, especially the long-life version is only 219,900 yuan at present. As long as 2w is added to the standard, you can get the same luxurious and comfortable configuration and 100-degree battery of the first-line brand as the top one. The guide price of Krypton 007 is also 209,900 to 299,900 yuan. The official guide price of the two models is the same, but the positioning is different by one level. Extreme Yue 07 locates medium and large pure electric vehicles and extreme Krypton 007 locates intermediate cars. From this perspective, extreme Yue 07 is still relatively affordable. Different levels, the most important thing is reflected in the body size, the length of the car is 4953mm, the wheelbase is 3013mm, and the length of the polar 007 car is 4865mm and the wheelbase is 2928 mm. The difference in data can reflect the difference in positioning.
In terms of body appearance, Extreme Yue 07 also adopts the family design concept, and the front dive design brings a strong sporty style. The non-linear daytime running light strip with strong front logo, the T-shaped light group looking from the front of the car, and the unique detail design have both inheritance and innovation in design. Krypton 007 adopts a brand-new family design, and the whole front part has the mechanical beauty of a robot. Among them, the embedded hidden layout, the penetrating daytime running lights, and the ingenious splicing design of the D-pillar on the side of the car body, together with the penetrating thin strip taillights, all bring unique visual effects.
In the car, Extreme Yue 07 uses a 35.6-inch integrated large screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P chip, and Baidu AI model ERNIE Bot 4.0 to support its first-line performance. Its voice assistant SIMO adopts Baidu SMLTA2-PTM acoustic model, which is the first in the industry to solve the modeling problem of speech recognition large model and effectively improve SIMO’s oral comprehension ability. Krypton 007 uses a 13.02-inch LCD instrument panel and a 15.05-inch central control large screen to form a human-computer interaction interface. Snapdragon 8295 is also used in the smart warehouse chip. The car system has the shadow of Meizu mobile phone, and the fluency of the smart cockpit has a good performance. However, compared with Extreme Yue 07, there is still a gap.
In terms of power, both models are built on the vast architecture, but different schemes are still adopted, among which the electric drive power of the Extreme Yue 07 two-wheel drive model is 200kw and the power of the four-wheel drive model is 530kw. There are two personalized models, the long-life version and the performance version, among which the long-life version has an acceleration time of 6.5s, which has obvious advantages in the face of fuel vehicles. It also provides the excellent performance of CLTC’s pure battery life of 880km, and the four-wheel drive model also achieves a zero-acceleration time of 3.5s with a peak torque of 653N.m There are still two-wheel drive models and four-wheel drive models with the same structure, and the motor power of the two-wheel drive model reaches 310kw, which has certain advantages. However, the maximum power of the four-wheel drive model is 530kw, which exceeds the power of 07.
Chassis suspension system, although both models come from Geely’s vast architecture, the chassis suspension system does not adopt the same scheme. Extreme Yue 07 adopts front double wishbone and H-Arm multi-link independent suspension, while Extreme Krypton 007 adopts front double wishbone and rear five-link independent suspension, and a large number of aluminum alloy materials are used, which are conscience configurations in the market in terms of suspension system grade and materials.
