Acer unveils dual-screen Iconia laptop/tablet

Iconia has a second 14in touch screen in place of a keyboard

Acer has announced a range of devices including a unique laptop with a second screen in place of a keyboard, three new tablets, and its next-generation smartphone with a 4.8in touch screen.

Unveiled at Acer's global conference in New York, the most interesting device is the Iconia, a Windows 7 laptop with a dual-screen layout described as a new concept that will introduce "a brand new tablet experience".

The Iconia's two 14in displays are protected by Gorilla Glass, feature a 1,366 x 768 resolution, and are designed to allow the user to interact using touch alone.

Windows can be spread across both displays, or users can watch video on one while doing something else with the other.

User input is via a specially designed user interface called the Acer Ring, or by a virtual on-screen keyboard. The Iconia senses the position of the user's palms and automatically launches the keyboard when needed, Acer said.

"This level of commitment to touch technology is something no other PC vendor can compete with," claimed Acer vice president Jim Wong.

However, the system weighs in at a whopping 2.8kg.

The Iconia is based on Intel Core i5 processors up to 2.66GHz with 4GB to 8GB of memory, up to 750GB hard drive, and optional external optical drive. It has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and may ship with 3G modem capability in some regions.

Availability in the UK is set for 8 January at a price of £1,499, Acer said.

Other announcements include a new Android smartphone with a 4.8in 1,024 x 480 screen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, LED backlit display, and output to TV via DLNA or a HDMI port.

Acer also unveiled three new tablet devices. Two are based on Android and will come in a 7in and 10.1in format, while the third is a 10.1in Windows device. The latter will ship in February, while the two Android devices are due in April.