Acer's DualPlay Mini concept is both gaming handheld and mini-laptop

Acer's DualPlay Mini concept is both gaming handheld and mini-laptop(liliputing.com)

4 points by spankibalt 35 days ago | 5 comments

spankibalt 35 days ago |

Acer following in Lenovo's footsteps with bizarre, overcomplicated contraptions.

The ideal form factor is already on the market for a productivity device like this: the 3-in-1 detachable. Make it maintainable (user replaceable battery, RAM, and two SSDs), get Wacom on board for some EMR magic, and add a pogo-pin attachable and Bluetooth-connectable keyboard folio that is essentially a modern IBM M4 or M4-1 Space Saver with trackpoint, trackball or a recessed analog stick. Have a nice docking option, too. How hard can it be?

HardwareLust 35 days ago |

Can't help thinking that's going to be really thick and unwieldy when the screen is folded over the keyboard.

spankibalt 34 days ago | |

Eh, thickness doen't really bother me much as long as it's within reason as maintainability/repairability demands it. I just don't see a need to integrate a keyboard into the chassis. Unless you go for a T-hinge or ezel-style convertible. But why would you, when you can design a detachable, a form factor that's much more versatile?

And don't get me started on integrating (non-removable) gaming controls, or the terrible visual design that screams "I AM a GAMER!1!!". That might float for a device aiming for that specific market, but is a complete no-go for business professionals.

The funny thing is... Acer already had a rather excellent pro design: the ConceptD 7 Ezel Notebook [1]. Wacom EMR, Xeon W CPU, RTX 5000, 32 GB ECC-DDR4, two SSDs etc. Keep Wacom EMR, exchangeable ECC-RAM, dual-SSDs. Miniaturize to flicker-free DCI-P3 screen between 8 and 13-inches. Offer good support. Done.

1. [https://store.acer.com/de-de/conceptd-7-ezel-notebook-cc715-...]

HardwareLust 34 days ago | | |

That is a cool design.