Following the announcement of the existence of Surface Centaurus, a kind of dual-screen notebook being developed by Microsoft and Intel earlier this year, another rumor will appeal to those already tired of traditional displays. According to the DigiTimes news portal, companies are “expanding” the partnership to develop design and manufacture standards for dual-screen devices.
The details of these patterns, which can also be extended to folding devices, are still extremely scarce, which casts doubt on the veracity of the leaks; but not unlikely due to Surface Centaurus. The partnership can also help push this market, which, while still new, has not yet had commercial success to “sell” the idea.
Of course, “Wintel” is not the only one betting on this idea. Devices such as Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Tablet Prototype and Dell’s XPS 17 are due to launch next year. But in the case of the ThinkPad X1, some issues have already been identified, such as adapting the operating system to the display, and standards set by Microsoft may drive the development of these devices.
In July, Microsoft filed patents for sensors used on dual-screen devices that are likely to be used on Surface Centaurus. In addition, it appears that the company will adapt the operating system to the new technology by synchronizing applications to displays. But beyond the OS, this new way to use and view devices will also depend on compatibility with other programs, such as games, Adobe programs, among others.
Unfortunately, all we have left is to wait for the fruits of this partnership; and it looks like we ‘ll wait a long time. In May, during an interview with the Mikkei Asian Review, Joshua D. Newman, Intel’s mobile innovation manager, said the technology could take up to 2 years to reach consumers. “We are still trying to understand the capabilities and limitations of folding technology,” Newman confessed.
The original information from DigiTimes has not been confirmed by the companies and the details are almost nonexistent, so it should be treated as a rumor.
