Hello, my name is Michael, and I’m a multi-monitor addict. If I don’t have at least three screens in front of me at all times, I feel like I’m not being productive enough. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve taken to packing a portable monitor along with my laptop—but maybe if I get this new dual-screen design from GPD, I won’t have to anymore.
You might recognize GPD as the China-based manufacturer of neat little gaming emulator devices. In recent years, they’ve branched out into full laptop designs, albeit smaller ones with game controls attached.
The GPD Duo is a radical departure, both from the company’s bread and butter and conventional laptop designs. The big news is that it sports two 13.3-inch OLED displays that are stacked one on top of the other.
We’ve seen a few dual-screen laptop designs lately—including the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i we reviewed last month—but these have essentially been standard clamshell laptops with the keyboard portion replaced with a second screen and a detached keyboard making up the difference. GPD takes its Duo in a different direction, with a secondary screen hinged above the first one while keeping the keyboard section intact.
It makes for a club sandwich of a laptop, with three body sections connected with two sets of (hopefully very sturdy) hinges. The secondary screen is suitable for a dual-screen setup with one on top of the other, or you can fold the screen back for mirroring and showing someone behind you. VideoCardz reports that the base is a counterweight, but what that means for actual weight isn’t mentioned.
Other hardware details are scarce, though GPD’s Twitter post says that the folded-up laptop is “the size of an A4 sheet of paper” (that’s 8.27 x 11.69 inches or 210 x 297 mm) and that the 10-point touchscreens are compatible with the Surface Pen stylus.
What’s powering all this? A Ryzen setup like GPD’s recent mini laptops, an Intel alternative, or a newer Snapdragon or other Arm setup? No idea! And there’s no indication of a price, either.
That last point might just be the most variable. GPD’s portable gaming PCs and mini laptops range from $550 to over $1,200 while dual-screen designs from Asus and Lenovo are $1,500 and $2,000, respectively. We’re dealing with a very wide range here, and GPD tends to launch new designs on Indiegogo. Hopefully more information will be available soon.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.