Folding, dual-screen PCs look like they'll be the next big segment that PC manufacturers dip their toes into. Microsoft's long-rumored Andromeda device immediately comes to mind, but Dell is also rumored to be working on one. Now, it appears Intel is getting in on the dual-screen game with a pair of prototype devices of its own.
PC World (via The Verge) recently took a tour of Intel's Santa Clara headquarters, where the company showed off a couple of reference designs for dual-screen PCs that have been years in the making. One design codenamed Tiger Rapids, pairs a traditional 7.9-inch LCD display with an electronic paper display (EPD) on the right. The goal, Intel explained, was to provide an experience that caters to people used to quickly jotting notes in a traditional notebook, and the EPD display attempts to mimic the feel of writing on paper.
Tiger Rapids is powered by a Kaby Lake processor, an SSD, and is described as "skinnier than an iPhone 8 at 4.85mm thick."
A second dual-screen prototype is also being worked on in Intel's labs, albeit without a code name. The design is similar to Tiger Rapids, but with a traditional display panel on each side. The displays can be rotated between traditional laptop or tent modes, and everything in between. While in laptop mode, users type on the glass of the bottom display.
Both prototypes call to mind Lenovo's 2016 Yoga Book and, indeed, Intel confirmed that devices from Lenovo and ASUS being shown off at Computex 2018 are inspired by Tiger Rapids.
As reference designs, Intel will never bring these devices to market itself. Rather, it will leave that work up to its hardware partners. Still, as Windows 10 on ARM PCs continue to gain momentum, offering a tantalizing base for potential future dual-screen devices, Intel's exploration of the concept is important.
