Dual-screen PC with a twist

Dual-screen laptops make more sense with this spiral notebook-like hinge

Having two laptop screens needn’t mean foregoing a built-in keyboard.

Scharon Harding – Aug 23, 2024 3:57 pm | 69

On the left is Screen B, on the right is Screen A. Credit: Scharon Harding

As I write this article on the AceMagic X1, two things stand out most. The first is its convenience—being able to write on one screen and view specs and information about the laptop and a chat window on a second integrated screen. The second is that with each aggressive keypress, that convenient secondary screen is jiggling just enough to distract me and rattle my nerves.

I often use sleek, small-screened ultralight laptops, so I find dual-screen laptops intriguing. The dual-screen laptops I’ve used up until this point have come with a huge caveat, though: no integrated keyboard. That’s what makes AceMagic’s X1 stand out to me. Not only does its secondary screen swing out from the system horizontally (instead of vertically), but the laptop manages to include two 13-inch screens and a traditional keyboard and touchpad.

But the somewhat precarious way that Screen B hangs off the left side of Screen A, floating above my tabletop, proves that even an integrated keyboard can’t resolve all the limitations of dual-screen laptop designs.

Some background

Specs at a glance: AceMagic X1 (as reviewed)
Screen	2x 14-inch 1920×1080 IPS
OS	Windows 11 Home
CPU	Intel Core i7-1255U (13th Gen SKU coming soon, an AceMagic rep told me)
RAM	16GB DDR4-3200
Storage	1TB M.2 NVMe 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD
Networking	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports	2x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.0
Dimensions	13.3×8.7×1 inches
Dimensions	13.3×8.7×1 inches
Weight	4.27 lbs
Warranty	3 years
Price (MSRP)	$900 as of this writing

For the unfamiliar, AceMagic is a PC brand owned by Chinese company CTONE. AceMagic sells other laptops besides the X1. But if you know AceMagic, it’s probably because of their Mini PCs—or because of the malware that was discovered inside of some of its Mini PCs (AceMagic has responded to this).

With this recent history in mind, what makes the X1 most interesting isn’t its specs or benchmark results, but rather one of the most distinct and clever approaches to giving laptop users extra screen space.

How the screens work

The X1 has two separate 14-inch IPS non-touch screens, each with 1920×1080 resolution. This differs from other dual-screen laptops on the market. For example, Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i has two 13.3-inch OLED touchscreens with 2880×1800 resolution in each screen.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i — Pictured is the Yoga Book 9i with its Bluetooth keyboard detached. Credit: Scharon Harding

The Yoga 9i—and virtually every other laptop with two laptop-sized screens—uses a clamshell laptop form factor but with the keyboard/touchpad replaced with a screen. They come with detachable Bluetooth keyboards that inevitably have shallow keys. But using the X1 feels more like using a normal clamshell, down to the tactile keyboard. AceMagic (along with Windows 11’s Snap layouts) simplifies use of the dual screens and makes good use of the X1’s deck, with features for controlling which of the two screens is on.

AceMagic X1 — The deck’s buttons make the PC display on Screen A only, on Screen B only, Screen A and B as extended displays, or duplicating the displays. Credit: Scharon Harding

Getting to any display, though, requires opening the lid and then opening Screen B, which is folded on top of Screen A like a book cover. Once you flip the secondary screen out to the left, you can use one screen or both screens, divided by a striking hinge system.

The hinge supports up to 360-degree movement, meaning the secondary screen can flip all the way back, like the cover of a spiral notebook, and snap onto the back of the lid, allowing someone behind the laptop to view it.

Using the X1’s screens

People who prefer bezel-less, multi-screen layouts won’t like the look of the X1’s extended screens. But with horizontal dual screens, using the system feels similar to using an ultralight laptop with a portable monitor. But with the X1, there aren’t the extra burdens of needing to buy a portable monitor or having a laptop that lacks an integrated keyboard. And as with a laptop with a portable monitor, I had to get used to the keyboard not being in the center of the two screens.

The X1 also required a delicate touch. The secondary screen, while sturdily attached, does technically dangle off the side of the laptop’s main screen. A gap between the secondary screen’s bottom edge and the table beneath it means that movement makes the second screen flop gently. It doesn’t flop much, but any form of computer screen flopping is bound to make me uneasy. And if I lower the primary screen too much while the second screen is open, the secondary screen will hit the top of my desk.

Sometimes while using both screens simultaneously, I find myself wishing I could pivot the secondary screen on its x-axis for a better view, like this portable laptop monitor does. I could adjust the second screen so that it comes closer to forming a right angle with the main screen. That brings Screen B closer to my eyes but requires me to turn my head more to see the screen, which starts making my (already-sensitive) neck slightly sore.

Bulky and striking, the hinge design allows Screen B to flip back and snap onto the backside of Screen A. This setup makes it somewhat easy to share what I’m viewing with someone else. I used this view to show my husband dogs I was interested in adopting. He was able to peruse my potential future children without having to get up from his own system or squeeze in tight next to me.

But before I was able to move Screen B from its default position to this sharing mode, I accidentally sent a pen rolling off the table and nudged a glass; my husband stepped in to pick up the items I didn’t see (and admittedly, didn’t look for) before adjusting the laptop. In a similar, and potentially easy, oversight, there were times when I closed the laptop with the secondary screen folded backward, leaving Screen B exposed. If I wasn’t careful, I easily could have dropped something on or otherwise damaged the second screen. A lid with a screen on both sides calls for extra attentiveness.

A step in the right direction

The X1’s integrated second screen does a lot of what I like about dual-screen laptops: It challenges the need for portable monitors. The user experience is similar to what people get when buying a single or dual-portable monitor that attaches to a laptop screen but for much less money.

But dual-screen laptops still have some kinks to work out, including dual-screen adjustability, bezel size, and battery life concerns. For the X1’s design, some sort of base or kickstand, even if it were detachable, could also add some stability to the setup.

But while using the X1 makes me feel a little nervous about Screen B wobbling or banging into something, the laptop also makes more sense to me than a laptop without a built-in keyboard. The X1 is imperfect but shows that there are still new approaches to laptop displays. Designs like that of the X1 delve into different approaches for giving people more screen real estate without loading them down with extraneous weight, peripherals, or costs. I’m eager to see how an X1-like design might be improved for those seeking more screen space with minimal sacrifice.

Correction: This article previously stated that Shenzhen Shanminheng Technology Co., Ltd. owns AceMagic; however, an AceMagic rep told us that CTONE does. Shenzhen is a sister company primarily for Amazon stores, per AceMagic’s rep. We regret the error.

Scharon Harding Senior Technology Reporter

Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Tom’s Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK.

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