Future of laptop keyboards looks bleak as screens multiply in Computex 2019

At this year’s Computex, an annual conference in Taipei dedicated to all things PC, a slew of new laptops and concept models were announced, the most innovative of which demonstrate that keyboards are being pushed to the side in favor of secondary and even tertiary screens.

As the smartphone industry upgrades screens by reducing bezels, shrinking notches and adding flexibility, the laptop industry has also been revamping how displays are used within PCs and have apparently concluded that the more screens, the merrier.

Computex 2019 showed this trend on full display where a series of notebooks were unveiled donning extra screens that push keyboards nearly off the edge of the model.

Asus ZenBook Duo Pro

The redesigned ZenBook that Asus debuted at the conference stole the spotlight with its three screens and a full-size mechanical keyboard, which was pushed down to the bottom of the base to make room for the touchscreen display measuring at 14 inches and the trackpad that doubles as a digital number pad.

The Asus ZenBook Duo Pro will be available for purchase in the third quarter of the year where the price will also be announced.

HP Omen X 2S

Although HP announced the HP Omen X 2S a couple of weeks before Computex 2019, the company still used the conference as an opportunity to showcase the dual-screen gaming laptop. The second display on this model is in a similar location of Asus’ new model and is also a touchscreen, but it is significantly smaller at just six inches. The trackpad has been pushed to the right of a full-size keyboard, but it serves no other purpose than a trackpad.

The HP Omen X 2S will be available in June with a starting price of $2,099.99 (about P109,000).

Intel Honeycomb Glacier concept

Intel only had one concept to show with an innovative new design. Though Honeycomb Glacier is not expected to hit the market anytime soon, it features a design that definitely turned heads at the conference with its two screens and two hinges.

When opened like a conventional laptop, the model looks similar to the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo. Between the second screen and the keyboard, however, there is a second hinge that lifts the main display up to eye level and the second display up enough so you don’t have to hunch over to see it properly.

Honeycomb Glacier is still only in its prototype stage, but it may become a commercial reality over the next couple of years if the trend for more multiscreen laptops further gains momentum. HM/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

MacBook Pro keyboards may have gotten a secret upgrade

The latest MacBook Pro may be hiding a secret fix that users have been complaining about for some time now.

The 2018 version of the MacBook Pro, which will be released before the week ends, found its way onto the hand of gadget repair specialists iFixit. Before publishing their customary teardown video for new devices, their gadget experts found an interesting rubberized layer underneath the keycaps of the keyboard, according to a statement.

It was a curious find considering the Apple description of its new MacBook did not mention making any technical changes to the keyboard. They merely said it’s “an improved third-generation keyboard for quieter typing.”

On the other hand, the presence of this protective layer led iFixit to speculate that it was put there to help keep dust and other particulates from accumulating under the keys–a concern that has plagued MacBook users for a long time. This is not to mention replacing or fixing a broken keyboard is expensive.

Apple even has a patent for the very same technology behind its third-generation keyboard. Except the patent mentioned, the design was to help “prevent and/or alleviate contaminant ingress” and not to make typing quieter.

Meanwhile, the company continued to deal with several class-action lawsuits pertaining to the reliability issues of its keyboards, as mentioned in a report by 9to5Mac. If Apple described the new MacBook Pro’s keyboard as one that improves reliability, it would be the same as admitting there were problems with its past keyboards.

With the 2018 MacBook Pro just about to enter the market, only time will tell whether the third-generation keyboards will stand the test of time, and do so quietly as Apple said they would.  Alfred Bayle /ra

source: technology.inquirer.net