I Replaced My Thinkpad With A Dual-screen Windows Laptop - Here's My Verdict After A Month

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Asus Zenbook Duo is connected waste now starting astatine astir $1,499, pinch pricier configurations available.
• This laptop is simply a creator's dream machine, pinch dual-OLED touchscreens, a highly configurable shape factor, and a awesome battery.
• It takes clip and effort to get nan astir retired of this laptop, and you'll request tons of table abstraction to utilize nan different shape factors.

Upon first glance, Asus' Zenbook Duo looks for illustration a modular laptop. The first point you'll astir apt announcement is nan superb 3K OLED display, but there's much than meets nan oculus here. The full keyboard comes disconnected to uncover a 2nd -- conscionable arsenic flashy -- show beneath. 

The Zenbook Duo is designed to situation nan laptop position quo successful each way. Its dual-touchscreen shape facet allows for a myriad of configurations that would different not beryllium imaginable pinch a accepted clamshell, and erstwhile paired pinch Asus' rich | customization features, makes for an exceptionally versatile device. 

Also: Why a $599 MacBook whitethorn beryllium nan astir enticing laptop for Windows 10 users later this year

That being said, this is simply a laptop designed specifically for creatives, arsenic nan dual displays bargain nan show and substance its visual-first usage case. Its sheer elasticity allows it to set to activity arsenic a mobile workstation for contented creators, a sketchpad for ocular artists pinch nan included stylus, aliases a business instrumentality that tin fold down level to show 1 of nan 2 screens to a client.

This laptop has a batch going on, truthful let's look astatine nan specs. In position of hardware, nan Zenbook Duo is beautiful stacked. It comes pinch 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, an Intel Arc GPU, and an Intel Core Ultra 9 (Series 2) processor, 1 of this device's biggest call-outs. 

Also: I tried Lenovo's $3,000 rollable ThinkBook and can't spell backmost to regular-sized screens

Intel's Series 2 chips person proven to beryllium battery-efficient and high-performing capable to group themselves apart, and I noted arsenic specified successful my reappraisal of nan Asus' Zenbook S 14 pinch nan Core Ultra 7 200V (Series 2) processor past year.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

The spot connected that laptop enabled a thinner, lighter shape factor, ran cooler, and had a awesome artillery life, truthful I was excited to trial retired nan caller Zenbook Duo. My first conclusions beryllium that nan capacity is conscionable arsenic good; nan Duo runs quiet and cool (considering nan hardware), and nan artillery life is coagulated -- particularly for a laptop pinch 2 OLED screens. 

Also: I recovered nan 5 champion laptop income - conscionable successful clip for backmost to school

The dual 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) Lumina OLED touch displays ray up to 500 nits of brightness and pass everything you request to cognize astir this laptop. They some characteristic 120Hz refresh rates, and nan bladed bezels connected some make for a melodramatic look, particularly erstwhile nan instrumentality is afloat extended.

In laptop mode, nan detachable keyboard covers nan 2nd screen, which has an auto-positioning magnet and pogo pins connected nan bottom. I admit that nary typical action is required to connect aliases region nan keyboard; it conscionable snaps successful spot without immoderate matching up of components.

The aforesaid goes for swapping configurations. Turning nan laptop connected its broadside flips nan show orientation, and removing nan keyboard activates its Bluetooth connectivity. This is simply a large plus, successful my opinion, arsenic users will admit really nan laptop "understands" what you're trying to do and adjusts accordingly.

Also: I urge this high-end laptop to imaginative pros complete MacBooks

The kickstand connected nan backmost of nan instrumentality enables this assortment of configurations. It's coagulated and sturdy, snaps into spot without immoderate fuss, and slides backmost down to dishonesty level erstwhile not needed. The only point is that its grade of hold is alternatively high, meaning you won't beryllium capable to get conscionable a flimsy elevation; nan Duo wants to beryllium propped up astatine a 40-70-degree angle.

The Duo's touchscreens are responsive whether you're utilizing your digit aliases nan included stylus, though I personally for illustration nan second to debar fingerprint smudges. Similarly, nan virtual keyboard is rather responsive, moreover though I thin to debar utilizing these immoderate further than I must; there's ever a spot of a learning curve successful really accelerated you tin type connected it.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

Asus has been focusing connected customizability for its creative-oriented laptops, and nan Zenbook Duo is nary exception. In summation to nan expertise to group civilization gestures, users tin configure nan buttons connected nan stylus, group task groups, pin apps to different displays, and put their apps' windows successful nan display.

Instead of manually dragging apps from 1 model to nan next, you tin "flick" nan apical of nan model to threat it successful spot successful nan desired window. This takes a infinitesimal to get utilized to, arsenic dragging windows astir tin consequence successful apps that are half successful 1 show and half successful nan other. 

Also: An RGB show guidelines sounds outrageous, but it's transformed my table for nan better

As pinch immoderate instrumentality pinch a analyzable scope of customizations, location are surely quirks and adjustments regarding really to champion usage it, particularly if you're not afloat acquainted pinch really to navigate each nan options. Windows aliases apps tin often beryllium banished to different window, get mislaid down different apps, aliases get stuck halfway. 

I besides had immoderate concerns pinch nan logistics of putting an OLED show connected nan aforesaid portion of nan laptop's assemblage that houses nan CPU and memory. Conventional contented would connote that this would beryllium a look for utmost heat, but Asus designed nan instrumentality pinch this successful mind, avoiding immoderate nonstop interaction pinch nan components and separating them pinch a power spreader. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

This intends nan CPU is located connected nan motherboard's other side, pinch gaps successful betwixt to facilitate airflow. In my testing, I couldn't get nan laptop to power up to immoderate notable degree, but it tin tally lukewarm if you push it complete a sustained play of time, particularly if it's plugged in. Luckily, this only happens if some displays are successful use, and if that's nan case, it will not needfully beryllium connected your lap.

I besides wish location were an action to upgrade nan GPU beyond nan Intel Arc it comes with, but nan Intel Core Ultra 9 does truthful overmuch of nan dense lifting present that it mightiness not beryllium necessary. Also, nan creation logistics astir apt inhibit nan summation of a graphics paper successful what is already a packed chassis.

Also: This portable laptop accessory solved my biggest problem pinch moving from home

Asus advertises complete 13 hours connected 1 charge, and I recovered this to beryllium much aliases little meticulous successful my testing, assuming you're talking astir video playback aliases normal, intermittent usage passim nan day. Remember that this instrumentality will springiness you utmost variety successful artillery lifetimes, depending connected really you usage it. 

However, nan artillery didn't pain itself into nan crushed nan measurement I assumed it would successful my testing, moreover erstwhile I really pushed it, moving immoderate demanding video editing tasks, utilizing some displays pinch afloat brightness while connected to an outer monitor. Yes, I sewage overmuch little juice retired of it, but I still managed complete 5 hours. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The Asus Zenbook Duo is simply a laptop for creatives who crave thing different and want to shingle up nan position quo. The myriad of configurations requires a learning curve to activate and usage regularly, but they are rewarding successful their expertise to push imaginative tasks to caller productivity levels.

Even amended is nan truth that nan hardware connected committee is solid, sloppy of its beingness form. The cherry connected apical is that it comes pinch a stylus and carrying case, rounding retired nan package for a very accessible waste value of $1,299.

I would urge this laptop to creatives who are committed to utilizing it nan measurement it is designed: activating nan dual displays, switching up nan configurations, grabbing nan stylus, and exploring caller avenues of productivity. If these things don't excite you, I would urge a creative-minded laptop pinch a much accepted shape factor, for illustration nan Asus ProArt P16 aliases nan MacBook Pro M4.