Asus Zenbook Duo 2024
asus.com
asus.com
I saw the dual screen in use with the top screen for a VR scene and the bottom screen for code. The user's interactions among the two screens and keyboard were seamless. The screen colors were vibrant and rich, even in bright light.
Based on what I saw, I would definitely try it for typical office use or even for typical website programming.
However, I saw a lot of graphics lag and chop in the VR scene rotations, and the user said the battery didn't last long enough to get through the day, so YMMV if you're considering developing 3D, AR, VR, etc.
Anyone planning to do 3D work in the wild with no power outlet should invest in a (heavy) 100W power bank. Also reliable 100+W chargers will cost an arm and a leg, same docking stations.
It's definitely still on the cutting edge and you won't be managing it like a wimpy Macbook Air.
Edit: I thought this one had a discrete GPU, but looking at the specs it's not and only needs 65W. Power consumption could be fine ?
UGreen and Anker's offerings start at 70 bucks and they're not well reviewed. Docking stations start a triple that and Dell seems to be only reputable maker going these lengths.
To complicate things, many chargers will tout 140+ watts, but only split on multiple ports. Single port output will often be capped at 100W.
My search situation and skills aren't in good shape.
> Power Supply
> TYPE-C, 65W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 3.25A, 65W
Was it a review/pre-release unit? Dave2D's review 4 days ago said he wasn't allowed to benchmark it because they haven't finished optimising the drivers. I wouldn't rush to performance judgements just yet.
Some of us care about absolute top performance, and don't care about the battery life
[1]https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPKe3Go [2]https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqiWbKy
The price is too expensive, but if more people use it, maybe they'll be able to lower the prices.
Some videos from streamers partnered by Acer.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9D3BPL7POc
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acmGEovxgEw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lwo9U9-iLc
We're V-Sekai (pronounced vee-say-kai):
https://github.com/V-Sekai/ - We're a community of open-source social VR enthusiasts.
- a cheap HDMI USB capture device ($5 from Temu)
- a short HDMI cable to connect that to your laptop's HDMI output
- a USB to lightning or USB to type C adapter (depending on your iPad model)
- a free app to display the UVC camera input full screen, e.g. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/genki-studio/id6466343285
This isn't quite as convenient, but it's not much extra weight to throw in your bag.
I've tried a couple of these and the quality is pretty shitty. Maybe they've improved since then.
You'll need an app to view the camera. Search Google for 'android uvc viewer'.
You'll need a hdmi dummy plug on your PC though.
For Linux I've had some success with Microsoft's RD Client android app -> remote to Linux PC.
I'm on gnome though, which has some experimental setting which allows you to set remote desktop clients to act as a new display instead of cloning your existing display.
now you know why foxconn had suicide nets.
Is it a situation where Apple is squeezing the suppliers? I'm aware Walmart has very predatory practices with their suppliers, so something similar?
yes. brutally.
from: https://www.macrumors.com/2023/02/14/only-half-of-indian-iph...
> "Apple engineers told that Chinese iPhone suppliers and government officials have a "whatever it takes" approach to win iPhone orders, work was often completed weeks ahead of schedule at "inexplicable speed". In India, [we] are not running at this pace. "There just isn't a sense of urgency," one Apple engineer remarked."
when you allow your supplier only 2% of the cuts. of course the ones at the bottom will be squeezed mercilessly. and apple maintains its huge margins.
https://apple.fandom.com/wiki/Criticism_of_Apple#Safety_prob...
https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/china-ap...
https://www.culawreview.org/journal/child-labor-and-the-huma...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/09/09/apple-a...
https://chinalaborwatch.org/somethings-not-right-here-poor-w...
https://9to5mac.com/2020/11/09/key-apple-supplier-pegatron-c...
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/15/tech/apple-iphone-india-w...
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/fire-apple-supplier-pega...
Note: you refer to 'mac' (the hardware) but Sidecar is tied to MacOS (software). A Mac running Windows or Linux won't support Sidecar. A non-Mac running MacOS (aka hackintosh) probably will.
If you're running old Mac hardware like a MBP 2015, you can install Ventura (and user Sidecar) using OpenCore Legacy Patcher.
It's bigger (15 inch), cheaper (less than $150), easier to use (just one USB-C cable).
And if we compare it to the Zenbook Duo, when your laptop becomes obsolete you can just buy any new laptop and still use your portable monitor.
So it’ll need a power brick to deliver 400 nits.
This laptop is a game changer.
There are some dual displays with integrated hinge. Uperfect delta.
Bonus points: it can a accept pen/touch and mouse/keyboard inputs as well, which makes it pretty useful.
The outdated Display Port 1.0 can send up to 10.8Gbit/s, and the even older USB 2.0 could only send 480Mbit/s.
That'd let a raw 800x600 image per frame come through.
It'd be better just to stream over wifi.
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/yoga/yoga-2-in-1-seri...
IMHO the Asus looks plasticky and flimsy in the videos I've seen so far, And when used in side-by-side mode it looks extremely asymmetric and goofy.
(Disclosure: The included yogabook keyboard is a bit flimsy, not as nicely designed as the main laptop, not up to the same standards)
[1] https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theverge.com/2023/1...
I'd absolutely never buy another one ever.
I'm not looking to buy a new laptop for many years, and I hope a Thinkpad version comes out before then. This is very much a design I appreciate. For now, from the photos, I think Asus did it better, though.
Hopefully, by that point, they'll also be 4k displays. My current laptop has 4k, which is very competitive with dual 3k.
The key thing about Dell and Lenovo is they have a byzantine set of laptop lines, from plastic craparific up to rather good. A top-of-the-line Thinkpad will set you back more than a Macbook, but will be better built too (and faster). Dell doesn't go quite as high, but still goes pretty high in quality.
* upgradable RAM
* two NVMe slots
* actually good keyboard (that unfortunately is part of the case, but replacement parts are available)
* the glass touchpad is better than my P14s with the X1C glass touchpad mod.
* the panel and refresh rate is very good and there's no lottery.
I don't know why Lenovo cuts corners on their business laptops, especially in the last two points.
It's heavy, but I don't lug it around too often, and having a 140W (max power spec) 3070 is great.
Just avoid placing them vertically on a stand, I had to replace the thermal assembly eventually.
I still carry a 14" external (USB3) monitor for when at a desk. The extra half-screen is still useful in those circumstances, though, just not as much so.
To make Windows11's taskbar less irritating (which it is even more so, if you can imagine that, with an extra screen under your primary) I recommend using something like ExporerPatcher or another shell improver/replacement.
I found the side trackpad less ergonomic, so use a separate (vertical) mouse.
I used to travel with it and sometimes a gaming desktop, but these days I use it around the house whenever I need a display & mouse for a server that doesn’t have a dedicated monitor. Just today I did a BIOS update with it.
This is the one I got on Amazon in 2020, there might be better options in 2024:
ASUS ZenScreen Touch Screen 15.6” 1080P Portable USB (MB16AMT) - Full HD (1920 x 1080), IPS, Anti-glare, Built-in Battery, Speakers, Eye Care, USB Type-C, Micro HDMI, Smart Case, 3-Year Warranty https://a.co/d/cJKzQi8
Also you should ID affiliate links.
Also, why does absolutely everything have to be monetized these days? I come here to read people's honest opinions. I certainly don't expect people to be monetizing their posts.
The cheap one that broke on me was this one:
Lepow Portable Monitor, 15.6" Portable Screen with Single Full-Function Type-C Port, 1080P FHD, IPS, HDR, Plug & Play, Smart Cover, Lightweight External Monitor for Laptop, PC, MacBook https://a.co/d/4M71Gn5
The only one I'm aware of w/ a decent stylus which is reasonably affordable (the new Wacom One) is not that great in terms of pixel density (don't want to compete w/ their Cintiq line).
My current setup has my devices all using the same pen technology, which is wonderfully convenient --- I can switch from note taking on my Note 10+ or Kindle Scribe to drawing/annotating on my Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 or the Wacom One attached to my MacBook.
This writeup doesn't include price, but others do, like https://www.engadget.com/the-asus-zenbook-duo-is-a-stunning-... . It starts at $1,499.
It's also just 3 pounds, which is 0.5 lbs lighter than the 14" Macbook Pro. I really like this breakdown by TechChap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzBxLYTUuK4, Dave2d's video is also good.
The thing also comes with a pen with high sensitivity.
It feels like this is priced as a loss leader for ASUS.
I'm hoping this will become a form-factor/product/class of its own.
Currently, I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 because it was the only computer I could find which:
- had a Wacom EMR stylus
- high resolution and large/expansive screen
- full OS support
(replacing a Samsung Galaxy Book 12, which I really wish Samsung had stuck with)
I need to have a stylus so that I can draw/annotate/write, and I prefer a tablet form-factor (but will accept a convertible/foldable if need be) --- the thing which kills me is the keyboard is completely disabled when the screen is folded back --- it would be nice for the keys along one (or both) edges of the keyboard to be usable as programmable/modified keys for when one is drawing.
Such a device with Wacom EMR will be an insta-buy for me.
It's really nice to be able to go from taking a note on my phone or Kindle Scribe, to drawing/annotating on my Galaxy Book.
It is great to take to coffee shops because you don't look like those crazy people who take monitor stands and stuff to the coffee shop- It just looks 100% normal (even if you use the full bottom screen)
But then at home I have enough screen size to feel like I'm working on a desktop.
For coding, having the vertical break down the middle doesn't matter really, since you almost always want to work on two documents at the same time, anyway.
Also, the device is very well made and sturdy (the external keyboard is a little flimsy unfortunately, but it's replaceable at least and at least looks nice)
Sure, that one has a first screen where the screen usually is (next to the keyboard), and that’s certainly useful. However, the possibility of not straining my neck is by far where most laptops fail. That’s why so many people use either one of those stands and separate keyboard, or a whole different screen and close and plug their laptop into a desk setup: better keyboard, sure, but it helps less than a well-positioned one; bigger screen, not sure that counts when you want to focus.
I use a separate screen from time to time (for presentation, I either need a separate viewing angle or some remote screen sharing like Zoom works better that way). However, I initially bought those to set them up higher while traveling, and it’s practically impossible to do without a heavy stand. Hotel rooms or café tables don’t have the support I need.
This model could. I’m very excited.
Let’s hope the screens are light enough, the base heavy enough and the hinges sturdy enough to hold it all upright.
Also, does the keyboard charge automatically when connected? Or does it have to be charged separately?
The closet to fulling my dream is: https://blog.system76.com/post/cosmic-the-road-to-alpha And I truly hope it works out.
The screens are both forced into portrait mode for the only setup that would makes sense when stationery, its fucking stupid.
Are there other products on the market right now that lets us detach the screen off the laptop and still use the keyboard and the touchpad wirelessly?
I expect a fair few more years from this one before an upgrade.
Top tech: highly recommended, & yes, no probs with Linux.
I find it strange to seriously consider any intel laptop these days for portable work.
Just a bloody portable NUC?
No monitor, no keyboard, no trackpad but in "notebook" form factor?
Dave2D was really enthusiastic, fwiw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Cr73w8CJE
Not cheap though.
I have a 13-inch 2.5K monitor and its DPI is too for its size and macOS's fractional scaling doesn't work well. So I'm looking for better options.
There are also a variety of different attachment options, from no attaching to your machine (which I find preferable) to those that attach to your laptop and add two screens, one either side.
Watch out of fly-by-night kickstarter projects in this area, there have been a few in recent years including a monster that promised to add three monitors to your laptop (left, right, top) which I'm surprised people were taken in by (I found the extra weight of one less than convenient, even when sat at a desk, never mind three, hence currently using a stand-alone external screen).
There was an app for this back in 2010. I used it quite a bit when I was on the road with an original iPad.
Nearly 15 years later, Apple does it seamlessly and natively in iOS+macOS without any third-party apps is even better.
Dongle: https://astropad.com/product/lunadisplay/
First turns iPad into Wacom, second is a second screen with features Sidecar doesn't offer, such as reversing for use with teleprompter.
I was considering this, but wound up w/ a Wacom One for my MacBook, mostly since it uses the same stylus technology as all of my other devices (Galaxy Note 10+, Kindle Scribe, Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360).
They're pretty conservative on the types of products they launch and careful enough to not pollute their existing line-up with whacky products that don't fit with their vision of how a product should be used or if it would cannibalize their other products.
Their MacBooks still don't have a touchscreen even though they could easily add a touch digitizer for almost no cost at all but they just don't want to mix touch with laptops for some reason, unlike the PC laptop makers who seem to have no issue adding that.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/surface-duo-2/9408kgxp4xjl...
So e.g. MP3 players Vs iPod, smartphones Vs iPhone, tablets Vs iPad, ARM CPUs in computers Vs M-series, wireless charging, Bluetooth headphones etc. All around for years and years prior to apple's products, but most people think apple invented the concepts or was first to make etc
This Asus product will be forgotten about in a month or two and the world moves on. If apple released this exact same thing except with osx everyone including the mainstream media would be losing their shit and talking about ushering a new era of whatever, of breaking the mold, of innovation yada yada. We'd have endless tweets and breathless blog posts here on HN about their ultimate dev productivity set up, how they used it on a flight to create a 1M MRR start-up that just wouldn't have been possible without it, how it has changed their lives, how they'll never go back etc. It's called the reality distortion field for a reason. </M1 MBP User>
>breathless
Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh!
You seem, like me, to be one of the few people on this board, who doesn't get breathless or lose their shit for every little announcement.
Or, more pithily and Unix-ily (and hence macOS-ily), my reply to your comment is:
/usr/bin/yes "Yes!"
This is objectively not true. It was an average product that was heavily marketed.
MP3 players were completely garbage, with low space, low battery or extremely expensive and inconvenient if you had to swap flash cards. Let's not even talk about the UI to browse and select music (when there was one at all, if the buttons were serviceable at all). In fact, MP3s were so bad that after a brief stint with an expensive flash card-based MP3 player; I went back to using my mini disc player since it wasn't much bulkier yet more convenient to operate. My brother had an Archos which was laughably bad compared to an iPod at a very close price.
In fact, it took until the iPod Mini for competitors to figure out products that were decently competitive. But at this point, the iPod Nano was right around the corner and would suit the vast majority of users at a very competitive price. Sure, Sony did come up with some sort of equivalent, but it was barely 10 percent cheaper and had none of the friendliness and coolness factor of an iPod.
I do believe that current Apple is resting on its laurel and is just happy raking in loads of cash for what are minor evolutions or me-too products that do not have the value they somehow successfully sell them for.
But to go back on the insanely great period Apple went through with the second Steve Jobs leadership is completely nuts. Apple was ahead of everyone in many things at this point in time and they did it at very competitive/affordable prices for the most part.
Don't you ever use two screens?
My eyes can only look at one thing at a time.
The fact that when you see new tech you immediately think "Apple" — even mockingly — tells me that Apple's marketing works.
Can't wait for the MacBook Pro Duo.
You even got the product line and capitalization right.
They got rid of anything above a 4070 in the 2024 models of the G series.
And this is a dual 120Hz OLED screen device powered by an Intel ARC integrated GPU?!
It's for productivity, not for gaming, and for that the latest Intel iGPUs are more than enough.
I started buying beefy GPUs when LLMs became a thing.
[1] Proper GPU: At least 16GB VRAM. Good compatibility. Don't care too much about speed.
I'm not an Apple fan, but they win by miles for stuff like this.
I’m trying to figure out if a laptop like this one is worth the lower cpu speed
You could have googled this and found your answer in 5 seconds(it's not something you need "gurus" for), instead of using your comment as an opportunity to call anything that's not M1 MacBook as being "hopelessly underpowered" but masquerading it as a question.
For extra context, I’m a Windows fan and I currently use a Surface Pro. I’d prefer to keep using Windows (even despite the ad/telemetry crap MS is pulling) but not if an M3 cuts my Elixir/webpack build times in half wrt a new & fast Windows laptop.
So no, nothing here was “masquerading” and you need to stop making such negative assumptions about people’s motivations.
The replies tell me the difference isn’t that big at all, which is great to know. Thing is, when the M1 was announced HN and twitter and other geek sites were absolutely plastered with stories about how impossibly much faster it was, so I don’t think it’s unreasonable to wonder whether that’s still the case.
There are dedicated review sites that do objective testing and tell you everything you need to know about current HW performace. If you're short on time to browse through it all to catch up to speed on the current state of affairs, you can use a LLM to summarize things for you. There's also Reddit where people alredy asked and debated what you want to know.
But even if we don’t agree on that, I take issue with you calling me a troll and I take issue with you issue with you suggesting I’m a shill and I think an apology is in order.
At which point the results look like this:
https://www.notebookcheck.net/R9-7945HX3D-vs-M2-Max_15073_14...
Which is to say, on the same process node the M-series is slower.
I believe this is a result of the architecture being derived from a mobile device where instant interaction for single running apps is the most important thing. As anyone could have guessed it doesn't scale very well for what PCs have been for a long time: extremely distributed computing, where the core running the UI do not have that much work to do, so a fast single core score doesn't translate in that big of a difference.
Which is exactly why most people feel like PCs have been stagnating for a while, because yeah from a UI performance point of view, things havent improved that much but it doesn't matter on such a device.
Just the other day I did some work on a M2 MacBook Pro (24GB version) and I was appalled at how slow the UI of Activity Monitor was on top of the general sluggishness feeling.
I do not understand WTF everybody is on about Apple Silicon, it is barely competitive, and certainly not at the price they sell it.