I think that the concept of multiple screen devices falls along with the stylus in the box of brilliant concepts that have never quite been executed to the point of perfection. Both of these technologies are applicable to tablet devices and mobile computing, the stylus used to be the primary input method for PDA's and old mobile contraptions of the like. As for dual-screen, off the top of my head I can only think of one iconic device or trend that has utilised this idea, an that is the Nintendo DS.
The success of Apple often forces us to believe that Apple's way and concepts are the only truly effective ways to do things. For example manufacturers have believed that since the iPad has been such a phenomenal success, therefore large touch screen devices are what they should be making. However, it's simply because there is nothing better in the market currently. It's great to know this since it means that certain ideas such as the stylus and dual-screen are not dead, however simply need to be implemented in a way that is not outdated or just a burden as such. In this article I will be talking about the advantages and disadvantages of dual screen and how I believe it can be successfully implemented. Hence the two faces.
To be honest, I don't think I have seen a successful application of dual-screen ever, apart from the Nintendo DS handheld. And being a small gaming device, it's hard to apply the same ideas that have contributed to the DS's success to tablet devices and mobile computing. The Acer Iconia Touchbook isn't a terrible attempt, however there are many of the same issues that have plauged dual-screen devices in the past present. And once again, its limitations and annoyances, most particularly the touch-screen keyboard don't make up for its increased screen real estate. Also, that obnoxious gap between the two displays that has been haunting the dual screen concept for a long time, has still not been taken care of or put to good use.
A rather obvious and large advantage of the two screens is basically more display estate for essentially the same size given their ability to fold up. One of the limitations - not quite a limitation but on a relative scale when compared with dual screen devices - of tablets is simply the fact that a 10 inch form factor will only permit at most a 10 inch display. Whereas on dual screen devices, it can be double that.
The gap or hinge between the two displays is often viewed as a hindrance to dual screen contraptions, and if nothing is done to help put them to good use then it really is one of the most infuriating limitations technology has ever seen. However, since nothing can be done to get rid of it, the logical way is to find some way in which it can actually assist us. Much the same way that Sony should have hired George Hotz to help build security measures into the Playstation products. Nonetheless, I believe that the gap can be useful, because it provides a physical or mental boundary between certain tasks. Come to think of it, its potential in multitasking productivity is quite vast. Any of you Windows 7 users will know how handy that quick snap split screen feature really is, I myself didn't know how much I needed this nifty functionality until I got my hands on Windows 7.
Dual screen contraptions can work in much the same way. Perhaps you want to download some PDF's while sending an email to your boss, or play a game with the capability of not having your fat thumb on the persons face that you're trying to shoot. Perhaps you want to IMDB a certain movie on one display, while watching it on the other display. Maybe something much more simple, like working on your files on one display while organising it on the other. All of these inevitably increase productivity significantly.
Apple's success has created the assumption that tablets are all about 99 cent apps, having fun, making movies and playing music and not about productivity as such. You could argue that the iPad does have many apps available that sufficiently do productive tasks, however Apple doesn't market it this way therefore obviously doesn't intend the iPad to be this. However the fact is that consumers actually do want to get work done on tablets. The desire to do productive work on tablets is evident because many consumers are struggling to make the pick between a low end notebook or a tablet, obviously because they want the tablet form factor but the productive capabilities of the notebook.
Dual-screen lends a lot in terms of its practicality in doing productive tasks. The last in my pack of useful functions: 'organising files while working on them' is actually quite an important one, and one that I believe will be of great use to consumers. Most of the other examples are somewhat obvious, however this one's potency will be often underestimated. By organising files, I don't mean specifically that, however it represents an umbrella word for sorting things out, putting things together and accessing things easily.
Perchance you're just gathering some information for a particular assignment, just snippets of a webpage, and an image or two. Instead of arduously undergoing a tedious copy and paste process, flicking snippets and images onto the other display for collection or accumulation is an increasingly more appealing way to get work done. Another example would be using one display as a Windows Explorer / Mac Finder kind of thing, and the other for previewing files or working on them, this would allow constant and easy access to content.
Think about the iPad, it doesn't offer the same ease of use in multi-tasking as this dual screen approach would. Working side by side is essentially impossible, and using two windows or applications at once requires constantly flipping between the two, which is hardly productive. An apt dual screen approach should be able to eradicate such restrictions.
Many people when thinking of dual screen devices form this image in their head of someone holding one like a book, however dual-screens versatility in itself is potentially a huge selling point. Hold it like a book, use it like a notebook, game on one like a DS: it's all possible with two screens. Obviously some uses will be impractical if the size of the device does not permit, for example DS-like gaming on two 10-inch displays in somewhat preposterous. However as was seen in the Sony S2 dual-screen tablet promo video, a demonstration was shown depicting the bottom screen being used for game controls, whilst the top obviously for the game visuals. This is great for gamers since there is nothing worse then having fingers in the way of gameplay.
Dual-screen isn't the only way in which true productivity can be achieved on a tablet or mobile device, however it's definitely a step in the right direction. Despite its strong benefits there are many things that can really hamper the dual-screen experience, and most of these crimes have been committed already.
Simply having two screens for the sake of having two screens is extremely distasteful. The gap between the screen has no use when dual-screen is implemented in this manner, and only makes the user progressively more frustrated that there is gaping black line running through their Youtube video or webpage. In extreme cases the frustration can escalate to a point where the user snaps the device in two hoping to end up with two singular screen devices. Also, if no OS optimisation is made to take advantage of the two screens, then again it is simply wasted.
Perhaps one day dual-screen will finally be able to reach its full potential. With current available software and operating systems, none of them are built specifically optimised to take advantage of dual screens. Android I suppose can be customised, but I have mentioned before that customisation can only go so far. In the end, the double screen concept needs truly capable software to back it up, otherwise it's just like a beautiful glass with no Coke inside. Manufacturers moreover need to not be afraid to go against Apple's flow, I said this in one of my older articles regarding the 'sea of sameness', but the key really is 'don't sell what a consumer is buying, sell what a consumer wants'. Does the consumer really want what they're buying? They think so but their preferences can only go as far as what they see available. The iPad is the only thing that's truly appealing, perhaps a really great dual-screen tablet with an optimised OS is what consumers want even more.
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