CES 2024 hosts some of the coolest tech out there, and this year, apart from AI being a part of everything (as sci-fi predicted), Asus decided to take its dual-screen, multi-tasking laptop, the Zenbook DUO, and give it a little bit of an upgrade—1.3 inches of an upgrade to be technically correct.
We’re all aware of the Asus Zenbook Duo (2022 Edition), which features a 12.7-inch display just above the keyboard; however, the 2024 model features a second screen underneath the keyboard. Yup, you read that right. Underneath.
The keyboard can be removed to show off a full 14-inch, 120hz 3k display hiding beneath it.
It may sound weird initially, but Asus has essentially created a foldable 3k 19.8-inch tablet with a magnetic keyboard, powered by either Intel’s latest Ultra CPUs or AMD’s 8th gen CPUs and up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM.
The foldable dual screen allows the laptop to run in various modes: the traditional laptop mode, with one screen and a keyboard below. Dual screen mode, with two screens on top of one another and the keyboard separated. Desktop mode, with two side-by-side screens and your keyboard separated, and sharing mode, where one screen duplicates another so that two people sitting across from one another can both see the same image as they discuss what’s on screen.
This versatility takes multi-tasking to a whole new level, and the fact that it’s all built into a lightweight and portable form factor makes it quite exciting.
When it comes to gaming, though, Asus has decided to rely on integrated CPU graphics to handle the graphical processing. The last model had the option of an Nvidia RTX 4060, so while this new model might offer more business flexibility, it might no longer be a good choice for gaming. Unless, of course, you have GeForce Now hiding up your sleeve.
Alongside the awesome Zenbook Duo, Asus also showed off the rest of their laptop range. The super lightweight Zenbook 14 comes in at an astoundingly light 1.2kg and 14.9mm thick, making it exceptionally sleek and portable while still packing a punch with the latest generation of CPU technology. The Vivobook Pro 15 is now packing that Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 that they have removed from the Zenbook Duo, meaning if you’re looking for something that has a little more oomph for creative work or for gaming while at the office, then this is the droid you are looking for. At the same time, the Vivobook S series still maintains its modern colour options while providing an affordable work-horse laptop experience enhanced by the latest generation hardware.
All the latest generation laptops have, of course, been slightly tweaked for AI usage since that’s the thing to do this year by including a Microsoft Co-Pilot instant access key on the keyboard. They also all feature the stunning Asus Lumina OLED display, which provides 120 Hz frequencies, 3.2K resolution options and DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification.
If you are searching for a new, portable buddy this year, you should definitely have the Asus lineup of laptops on your list to check out. Let’s just hope they’ve managed to fix the one or two issues they have with their local repair representatives.