ASUS TAICHI Doubles The Displays For Windows 8

ASUS has unveiled the TAICHI, a new twist on the convertible notebook with not one but two displays, and running Windows 8. Ostensibly a regular notebook when opened, complete with a 13.3-inch display, keyboard, trackpad and a 3rd Gen Core i7 processor, close the lid and you'll find a second screen: this time an 11.6-inch panel.

Both support Full HD 1080p resolution, and used Super IPS+ LCD panels for better viewing angles, colors and brightness. There are also cameras front and back, and interestingly both displays can be active simultaneously; ASUS suggests that's great for back-to-back working or sharing slideshows or presentations with an audience, though we're not sure what sort of impact it might have on the TAICHI's battery.

The smaller, outer panel is also a touchscreen – complete with stylus support – which means owners will be able to use the closed-down notebook as a tablet and tap their way through the Windows 8 Metro UI. Storage is solid-state, helping keep things as light as ASUS' regular Zenbook range.

Since the two screens are independent, too, it's potentially possible that people on both sides could be using Windows 8 on their own; we'll have to wait and see exactly how that might work out. Pricing and availability haven't been confirmed, though given the ASUS TAICHI runs Windows 8 we wouldn't be expecting to see it until midway through the latter half of 2012.