laptops

lenovo-laptop’s-rollable-screen-uses-motors-to-grow-from-14-to-16.7-inches

Lenovo laptop’s rollable screen uses motors to grow from 14 to 16.7 inches

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Lenovo announced a laptop today that experiments with a new way to offer laptop users more screen space than the typical clamshell design. The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable has a screen that can roll up vertically to expand from 14 inches diagonally to 16.7 inches, presenting an alternative to prior foldable-screen and dual-screen laptops.

Here you can see the PC’s backside when the screen is extended. Lenovo

The laptop, which Lenovo says is coming out in June, builds on a concept that Lenovo demoed in February 2023. That prototype had a Sharp-made panel that initially measured 12.7 inches but could unroll to present a total screen size of 15.3 inches. Lenovo’s final product is working with a bigger display from Samsung Display, The Verge reported. Resolution-wise you’re going from 2,000×1,600 pixels (about 183 pixels per inch) to 2,000×2,350 (184.8 ppi), the publication said.

Users make the screen expand by pressing a dedicated button on the keyboard or by making a hand gesture at the PC’s webcam. Expansion entails about 10 seconds of loud whirring from the laptop’s motors. Lenovo executives told The Verge that the laptop was rated for at least 20,000 rolls up and down and 30,000 hinge openings and closings.

The system can also treat the expanded screens as two different 16:9 displays.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable

The screen claims up to 400 nits brightness and 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage. Credit: Lenovo

This is a clever way to offer a dual-screen experience without the flaws inherent to current dual-screen laptops, including distracting hinges and designs with questionable durability. However, 16.7 inches is a bit small for two displays. The dual-screen Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, for comparison, previously had two 13.3-inch displays for a total of 26.6 inches, and this year’s model has two 14-inch screens. Still, the ThinkBook, when its screen is fully expanded, is the rare laptop to offer a screen that’s taller than it is wide.

Still foldable OLED

At first, you might think that since the screen is described as “rollable” it may not have the same visible creases that have tormented foldable-screen devices since their inception. But the screen, reportedly from Samsung Display, still shows “little curls visible in the display, which are more obvious when it’s moving and there’s something darker onscreen,” as well as “plenty of smaller creases along its lower half” that aren’t too noticeable when using the laptop but that are clear when looking at the screen closely or when staring at it “from steeper angles,” The Verge reported.

Lenovo laptop’s rollable screen uses motors to grow from 14 to 16.7 inches Read More »

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The end of an era: Dell will no longer make XPS computers

dell, Desktops, laptops, Tech / /

After ditching the traditional Dell XPS laptop look in favor of the polarizing design of the XPS 13 Plus released in 2022, Dell is killing the XPS branding that has become a mainstay for people seeking a sleek, respectable, well-priced PC.

This means that there won’t be any more Dell XPS clamshell ultralight laptops, 2-in-1 laptops, or desktops. Dell is also killing its Latitude, Inspiron, and Precision branding, it announced today.

Moving forward, Dell computers will have either just Dell branding, which Dell’s announcement today described as “designed for play, school, and work,” Dell Pro branding “for professional-grade productivity,” or be Dell Pro Max products, which are “designed for maximum performance.” Dell will release Dell and Dell Pro-branded displays, accessories, and “services,” it said. The Pro Max line will feature laptops and desktop workstations with professional-grade GPU capabilities as well as a new thermal design.

Dell claims its mid-tier Pro line emphasizes durability, “withstanding three times as many hinge cycles, drops, and bumps from regular use as competitor devices.” The statement is based on “internal analysis of multiple durability tests performed” on the Dell Pro 14 Plus (released today) and HP EliteBook 640 G11 laptops conducted in November. Also based on internal testing conducted in November, Dell claims its Pro PCs boost “airflow by 20 percent, making these Dell’s quietest commercial laptops ever.”

Within each line are base models, Plus models, and Premium models. In a blog post, Kevin Terwilliger, VP and GM of commercial, consumer, and gaming PCs at Dell, explained that Plus models offer “the most scalable performance” and Premium models offer “the ultimate in mobility and design.”

Credit: Dell

By those naming conventions, old-time Dell users could roughly equate XPS laptops with new Dell Premium products.

“The Dell portfolio will expand later this year to include more AMD and Snapdragon X Series processor options,” Terwilliger wrote. “We will also introduce new devices in the base tier, which offers everyday devices that provide effortless use and practical design, and the Premium tier, which continues the XPS legacy loved by consumers and prosumers alike.”

Meanwhile, Dell Pro base models feel like Dell’s now-defunct Latitude lineup, while its Precision workstations may best align with 2025’s Dell Pro Max offerings.

The end of an era: Dell will no longer make XPS computers Read More »

after-working-with-a-dual-screen-portable-monitor-for-a-month,-i’m-a-believer

After working with a dual-screen portable monitor for a month, I’m a believer

laptops, Monitors, Reviews, Tech / /

I typically used the FlipGo Pro with a 16: 10 laptop screen, meaning that the portable monitor provided me with a taller view that differed from what most laptops offer. When the FlipGo Pro is working as one unified screen, it delivers a 6:2 (or 2:6) experience. These more unique aspect ratios, combined with the abilities to easily rotate the lightweight FlipGo Pro from portrait to landscape mode and swap between a dual or unified monitor, amplified the gadget’s versatility and minimal desk space requirement.

Dual-screen monitors edge out dual-screen PCs

The appeal of a device that can bring you two times the screen space without being a burden to carry around is obvious. Many of the options until now, however, have felt experimental, fragile, or overly niche for most people to consider.

I recently gave praise to the concept behind a laptop with a secondary screen that attaches to the primary through a 360-degree hinge on the primary display’s left side:

AceMagic X1

The AceMagic X1 dual-screen laptop.

Credit: Scharon Harding

The AceMagic X1 dual-screen laptop. Credit: Scharon Harding

Unlike the dual-screen Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, the AceMagic X1 has an integrated keyboard and touchpad. However, the PC’s questionable durability and dated components and its maker’s sketchy reputation (malware was once found inside AceMagic mini PCs) prevent me from recommending the laptop.

Meanwhile, something like the FlipGo Pro does something that today’s dual-screen laptops fail to do in their quest to provide extra screen space. With its quick swapping from one to two screens and simple adjustability, it’s easy for users of various OSes to maximize its versatility. As tech companies continue exploring the integration of extra screens, products like the FlipGo Pro remind me of the importance of evolution over sacrifice. A second screen has less value if it takes the place of critical features or quality builds. While a dual portable monitor isn’t as flashy or groundbreaking as a laptop with two full-size displays built in, when well-executed, it could be significantly more helpful—which, at least for now, is groundbreaking enough.

After working with a dual-screen portable monitor for a month, I’m a believer Read More »

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

laptops, Reviews, Tech / /

Dual-screen PC with a twist —

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

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  • On the left is Screen B, on the right is Screen A.

    Scharon Harding

  • The closed laptop’s lid.

    Scharon Harding

  • Opening the lid reveals the underside of Screen B, which is on top of Screen A.

    Scharon Harding

  • Screen B wraps around and snaps onto the computer’s lid.

    Scharon Harding

  • A left-profile view.

    Scharon Harding

  • A top-down view of the hinge with the secondary screen wrapped around to the back.

    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 Shenzhen Shanminheng Technology Co., Ltd. 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.

Pictured is the Yoga Book 9i with its Bluetooth keyboard detached.

Enlarge / Pictured is the Yoga Book 9i with its Bluetooth keyboard detached.

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.

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.

Enlarge / 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.

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.

A close-up of the X1's hinge.

Enlarge / A close-up of the X1’s hinge.

Scharon Harding

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.

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

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Copilot key is based on a button you probably haven’t seen since IBM’s Model M

AI, copilot, generative ai, Keyboards, laptops, microsoft, Tech, Windows, Windows 11 / /

Microsoft chatbot button —

Left-Shift + Windows key + F23

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A Dell XPS 14 laptop with a Copilot key.

Enlarge / A Dell XPS 14 laptop. The Copilot key is to the right of the right-Alt button.

In January, Microsoft introduced a new key to Windows PC keyboards for the first time in 30 years. The Copilot key, dedicated to launching Microsoft’s eponymous generative AI assistant, is already on some Windows laptops released this year. On Monday, Tom’s Hardware dug into the new addition and determined exactly what pressing the button does, which is actually pretty simple. Pushing a computer’s integrated Copilot button is like pressing left-Shift + Windows key + F23 simultaneously.

Tom’s Hardware confirmed this after wondering if the Copilot key introduced a new scan code to Windows or if it worked differently. Using the scripting program AuthoHotkey with a new laptop with a Copilot button, Tom’s Hardware discovered the keystrokes registered when a user presses the Copilot key. The publication confirmed with Dell that “this key assignment is standard for the Copilot key and done at Microsoft’s direction.”

F23

Surprising to see in that string of keys is F23. Having a computer keyboard with a function row or rows that take you from F1 all the way to F23 is quite rare today. When I try to imagine a keyboard that comes with an F23 button, vintage keyboards come to mind, more specifically buckling spring keyboards from IBM.

IBM’s Model F, which debuted in 1981 and used buckling spring switches over a capacitive PCB, and the Model M, which launched in 1985 and used buckling spring switches over a membrane sheet, both offered layouts with 122 keys. These layouts included not one, but two rows of function keys that would leave today’s 60 percent keyboard fans sweating over the wasted space.

But having 122 keys was helpful for keyboards tied to IBM business terminals. The keyboard layout even included a bank of keys to the left of the primary alpha block of keys for even more forms of input.

An IBM Model M keyboard with an F23 key.

Enlarge / An IBM Model M keyboard with an F23 key.

The 122-key keyboard layout with F23 lives on. Beyond people who still swear by old Model F and M keyboards, Model F Labs and Unicomp both currently sell modern buckling spring keyboards with built-in F23 buttons. Another reason a modern Windows PC user might have access to an F23 key is if they use a macro pad.

But even with those uses in mind, the F23 key remains rare. That helps explain why Microsoft would use the key for launching Copilot; users are unlikely to have F23 programmed for other functions. This was also likely less work than making a key with an entirely new scan code.

The Copilot button is reprogrammable

When I previewed Dell’s 2024 XPS laptops, a Dell representative told me that the integrated Copilot key wasn’t reprogrammable. However, in addition to providing some interesting information about the newest PC key since the Windows button, Tom’s Hardware’s revelation shows why the Copilot key is actually reprogrammable, even if OEMs don’t give users a way to do so out of the box. (If you need help, check out the website’s tutorial for reprogramming the Windows Copilot key.)

I suspect there’s a strong interest in reprogramming that button. For one, generative AI, despite all its hype and potential, is still an emerging technology. Many don’t need or want access to any chatbot—let alone Microsoft’s—instantly or even at all. Those who don’t use their system with a Microsoft account have no use for the button, since being logged in to a Microsoft account is required for the button to launch Copilot.

A rendering of the Copilot button.

Enlarge / A rendering of the Copilot button.

Microsoft

Additionally, there are other easy ways to launch Copilot on a computer that has the program downloaded, like double-clicking an icon or pressing Windows + C, that make a dedicated button unnecessary. (Ars Technica asked Microsoft why the Copilot key doesn’t just register Windows + C, but the company declined to comment. Windows + C has launched other apps in the past, including Cortana, so it’s possible that Microsoft wanted to avoid the Copilot key performing a different function when pressed on computers that use Windows images without Copilot.)

In general, shoehorning the Copilot key into Windows laptops seems premature. Copilot is young and still a preview; just a few months ago, it was called Bing Chat. Further, the future of generative AI, including its popularity and top uses, is still forming and could evolve substantially during the lifetime of a Windows laptop. Microsoft’s generative AI efforts could also flounder over the years. Imagine if Microsoft went all-in on Bing back in the day and made all Windows keyboards have a Bing button, for example. Just because Microsoft wants something to become mainstream doesn’t mean that it will.

This all has made the Copilot button seem more like a way to force the adoption of Microsoft’s chatbot than a way to improve Windows keyboards. Microsoft has also made the Copilot button a requirement for its AI PC certification (which also requires an integrated neural processing unit and having Copilot pre-installed). Microsoft plans to make Copilot keys a requirement for Windows 11 OEM PCs eventually, it told Ars Technica in January.

At least for now, the basic way that the Copilot button works means you can turn the key into something more useful. Now, the tricky part would be finding a replacement keycap to eradicate Copilot’s influence from your keyboard.

Listing image by Microsoft

Copilot key is based on a button you probably haven’t seen since IBM’s Model M Read More »

macbooks,-chromebooks-lead-losers-in-laptop-repairability-analysis

MacBooks, Chromebooks lead losers in laptop repairability analysis

Apple, ASUS, chromebooks, Google, laptops, MacBook, repairability, right to repair, Tech / /

Disappointing Disassembly processes —

Analysis heavily weighs how hard the brands’ laptops are to take apart.

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A stack of broken Chromebook laptops

Enlarge / A stack of broken Chromebook laptops at Cell Mechanic Inc. electronics repair shop in Westbury, New York, U.S., on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.

Chromebooks and MacBooks are among the least repairable laptops around, according to an analysis that consumer advocacy group US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) shared this week. Apple and Google have long been criticized for selling devices that are deemed harder to repair than others. Worse, PIRG believes that the two companies are failing to make laptops easier to take apart and fix.

The “Failing the Fix (2024)” report released this week [PDF] is largely based on the repairability index scores required of laptops and some other electronics sold in France. However, the PIRG’s report weighs disassembly scores more than the other categories in France’s index, like the availability and affordability of spare parts, “because we think this better reflects what consumers think a repairability score indicates and because the other categories can be country specific,” the report says.

PIRG’s scores, like France’s repair index, also factor in the availability of repair documents and product-specific criteria (the PIRG’s report also looks at phones). For laptops, that criteria includes providing updates and the ability to reset software and firmware.

PIRG also docked companies for participating in trade groups that fight against right-to-repair legislation and if OEMs failed to “easily provide full information on how they calculated their products.”

Chromebooks, MacBooks lag in repairability

PIRG examined 139 laptop models and concluded that Chromebooks, “while more affordable than other devices, continue to be less repairable than other laptops.” This was largely due to the laptops having a lower average disassembly score (14.9) than the other laptops (15.2).

The report looked at 10 Chromebooks from Acer, Asus, Dell, and HP and gave Chromebooks an average repair score of 6.3 compared to 7.0 for all other laptops. It said:

Both of these lower averages indicate that while often considered an affordable choice for individuals or schools, Chromebooks are on average less repairable than other laptops.

Google recently extended Chromebook support from eight years to 10 years. PIRG’s report doesn’t factor in software support timelines, but even if it did, Chromebooks’ repairability score wouldn’t increase notably since the move only brought them to “industry norms,” Lucas Gutterman, Designed to Last campaign director for the US PIRG Education Fund, told me.

The Chromebooks PIRG considered for its report.

Enlarge / The Chromebooks PIRG considered for its report.

He added, though, that the current “norm” should improve.

At the very least, if it’s no longer financially viable for manufacturers to maintain support, they should allow the community to continue to maintain the software or make it easy to install alternative operating systems so we can keep our laptops from getting junked.

Turning to its breakdown of non-ChromeOS laptops, PIRG ranked Apple laptops the lowest in terms of repairability with a score of D, putting it behind Asus, Acer, Dell, Microsoft, HP, and Lenovo. In this week’s report, Apple got the lowest average disassembly score out of the OEMs (4 out of 10 compared to the 7.3 average)

MacBooks, Chromebooks lead losers in laptop repairability analysis Read More »

the-dell-xps-laptop,-as-we-know-and-love-it,-is-no-more

The Dell XPS laptop, as we know and love it, is no more

dell, dell XPS, laptops, Tech / /

  • The 2024 XPS laptop lineup: 13-inch, 14-inch, and 16-inch.

    Scharon Harding

  • The laptops come in platinum…

    Dell

  • … or graphite.

    Dell

  • The keyboard on the XPS 13.

    Dell

  • The keyboard on the XPS 14 and XPS 16.

    Dell

  • The ports on the left side of the XPS 14 and 16.

    Dell

  • The ports on the right side of the XPS 14 and 16.

    Dell

  • The underside of the XPS 13.

    Scharon Harding

Dell’s XPS laptop lineup has long been my go-to for an easy laptop recommendation. With an accessible starting price, a good amount of display options, and an ultrathin build, it was often a fitting choice for the average consumer seeking something with a premium feel and some clout. With the 2024 laptop lineup announced today, the XPS no longer feels like an obvious recommendation.

Dell has reimagined the XPS laptop lineup in the image of what used to be called the Dell XPS 13 Plus. When it launched in 2022, the XPS 13 Plus was a 13.4-inch XPS laptop that was pricier than its non-Plus alternative. The XPS 13 Plus and its 2023 predecessor took extreme design measures, including a capacitive touch function row, unique keyboard, and borderless haptic touchpad to squeeze more power out of its processor.

Those polarizing features are now mandatory in an XPS laptop. The new XPS 13, 14, and 16 look like the XPS 13 Plus. But Dell is no longer calling that design the “Plus.” It’s now just the standard design of a standard XPS laptop.

Additionally, the XPS 17 is getting phased out, while the XPS 15 will be available for another six months with limited Nvidia GPU options until it is also phased out. The XPS 2-in-1 detachable is also being discontinued.

The new XPS laptop lineup

With the 2024 changes, the starting price for Dell’s popular laptop series is now higher than before. The new XPS 13 will start at $1,300. The last XPS 13, which came out in 2022 with a 13th Gen Intel chip, started at $849. By discontinuing the XPS detachable and committing all XPS laptops to the XPS 13 Plus look, Dell is going from having three 13-inch-class XPS options to one (with various specs configurations available).

Technically, the 2024 XPS lineup has better starting prices for those interested in larger screens. The XPS 14 will start at $1,700, and the XPS 16 will start at $1,900. The 2023 XPS 15 debuted with 13th-gen chips at $2,949, while the XPS 17 (9370) debuted with a $3,399 starting price. However, the new XPS 14 and XPS 16 will be released with Intel Arc-integrated graphics. The XPS 15 started with an Arc A370M discrete GPU, and the XPS 17’s starting price got you an RTX 4050 laptop GPU. (Dell hasn’t shared pricing for the new laptops beyond starting prices.)

The new laptops have smaller screens than the XPS 15 and XPS 17. For 2024, the biggest XPS laptop will have a 16.3-inch display instead of a 17-inch one, giving it slightly greater pixel density (277.8 pixels per inch versus 266.4 ppi).

But ultimately, the range of sizes remains mildly shrunken. Rather than ranging from 13.4 to 17 inches with a detachable option, the new lineup is set to 13.4 to 16.3 inches without detachables. And while a 14-inch XPS allows Dell to offer a more portable laptop that can still fit a dedicated graphics card (up to an RTX 4050 laptop GPU), moving from a 13-inch to a 15-inch laptop is more noticeable than moving from 13 to 14 inches.

The Dell XPS laptop, as we know and love it, is no more Read More »

laptops’-2023-quantum-leap:-5-computers-we’ll-still-be-talking-about-in-2024

Laptops’ 2023 quantum leap: 5 computers we’ll still be talking about in 2024

Apple, ASUS, Features, laptops, Lenovo, Tech / /
hand reaching for laptop, with blue swirls in the background

You’ll never uncover The Next Great Thing if you don’t deviate from the norm. When looking back at 2023’s laptops, we can see that many were merely refreshed designs—approaches that already work. But what happens when a company explores a design that, though not the most appealing today, might lead us to a new trend tomorrow?

You might end up with some computers that many, or even most, people aren’t currently interested in buying. But you could also end up glimpsing the designs that influence future laptops.

The laptops we’re about to look at all defied trends in some way, and we’re curious to see if they impact the laptop industry beyond 2023. We’ll also look at the challenges these ideas might face in the future—and some ways they could improve.

Lenovo’s laptop with dual 13.3-inch screens

  • A company called SZBOX is already selling a similar design, and I don’t think it’ll be the last.

    Scharon Harding

  • I was able to multitask like never before on a 13-inch-size laptop.

    Scharon Harding

  • Lenovo’s depiction of the Yoga Book 9i’s various forms. There has to be a useful idea somewhere in there, right?

    Lenovo

With the number of secondary screens already being built into laptops, Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i, as striking as it appears, was a somewhat expected progression. But Lenovo actually pulled it off with a legitimate PC featuring most of the bells and whistles found among traditional premium laptops. With the design serving practical use cases in an improved form factor, I expect it to not only be imitated (one small firm is already selling a laptop like this) but to also give the concept of foldable-screen laptops a good run for their money.

The Yoga Book 9i, with its pair of 13.3-inch OLED screens, isn’t kicking off this list solely because it’s creative, flashy, or unique. It’s because, as detailed in our Lenovo Yoga Book 9i review, it proved itself an effective way to boost the amount of multitasking one can reasonably do on a 13-inch-size laptop. Lenovo’s revision of how to use a 13-inch chassis could improve options down the line for the many people seeking that golden area between ultra-portability and productivity potential.

On the Lenovo laptop’s 26.6 inches of cumulative screen, I was able to do the types of things that would only bring me frustration, if not a headache, on a single 13.3-inch panel. Want to take notes on a video call while monitoring your news feeds, having a chat window open, and keeping an eye on your email? That’s all remarkably manageable on a laptop with two full-size screens. And that PC is easier to lug around than a laptop and portable monitor.

What’s next?

The dual-screen setup worked well for small-laptop multitasking. But the polarizing lack of an integrated physical keyboard and touchpad challenge this form factor’s longevity. Easily accessible touchscreen controls are handy, but you can’t really replicate the reliable tactility and comfort of a keyboard and touchpad with touchscreens. A super portable laptop suddenly feels less portable when you have to remember to bring its accessories.

Still, I think this design has a place in the increasingly mobile world of computing. Future designs could improve with less reflective screens, given that reflectivity is especially distracting on a dual-screen laptop where one screen can cast reflections on the other.

Moving from OLED could help improve battery life to some degree. But, as you might have guessed, a laptop with two 13.3-inch OLED displays won’t be winning any laptop battery-life contests. Further, I wonder what price improvements could be made by foregoing OLED.

But many of the creative laptop designs these days opt for OLED, due to its high image quality, flexibility, and broad market appeal from more mainstream tech implementations, like OLED smartphones and TVs. This presents an ongoing price obstacle for a laptop design that already leans niche.

Laptops’ 2023 quantum leap: 5 computers we’ll still be talking about in 2024 Read More »

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CAMM standard published, opening door for thin, speedy RAM to overtake SO-DIMM

dell, Desktops, laptops, memory, RAM, Tech / /

compression attached —

Dell introduced CAMM in 2022 with modules that were 57% thinner than SO-DIMM.

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Front of a 128GB CAMM.

Enlarge / The front of a 128GB Dell CAMM.

Dell

Move over, SO-DIMM. A new type of memory module has been made official, and backers like Dell are hoping that it eventually replaces SO-DIMM (small outline dual in-line memory module) entirely.

This month, JEDEC, a semiconductor engineering trade organization, announced that it had published the JESD318: Compression Attached Memory Module (CAMM2) standard, as spotted by Tom’s Hardware.

CAMM2 was originally introduced as CAMM via Dell, which has been pushing for standardization since it announced the technology at CES 2022. Dell released the only laptops with CAMM in 2022, the Dell Precision 7670 and 7770 workstations.

The standard includes DDR5 and LPDDR5/5X designs. The former targets “performance notebooks and mainstream desktops,” and the latter is for “a broader range of notebooks and certain server market segment,” JEDEC’s announcement said.

They each have the same connector but differing pinouts, so a DDR5 CAMM2 can’t be wrongfully mounted onto an LPDDR5/5X connector. CAMM2 means that it will be possible to have non-soldered LPDD5X memory. Currently, you can only get LPDDR5X as soldered chips.

Another reason supporters are pushing CAMM2 is in consideration of speed, as SO-DIMM tops out at 6,400 MHz, with max supported speeds even lower in four-DIMM designs. Many mainstream designs aren’t yet at this threshold. But Dell originally proposed CAMM as a way to get ahead of this limitation (largely through closer contact between the module and motherboard). The published CAMM2 standard says LPDDR5 DRAM CAMM2 “is expected to start at 6,400 MTs and increment upward in cadence with the DRAM speed capabilities.”

Samsung in September announced plans to offer LPDDR CAMM at 7.5Gbps, noting that it expects commercialization in 2024. Micron also plans to offer CAMM at up to 9,600Mbps and 192GB-plus per module in late 2026, as per a company road map shared by AnandTech last month. Both announcements were made before the CAMM2 standard was published, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see timelines extended.

Samsung shared this rendering of a CAMM ahead of the publishing of the CAMM2 standard in September.

Enlarge / Samsung shared this rendering of a CAMM ahead of the publishing of the CAMM2 standard in September.

CAMM2 supports capacities of 8GB to 128GB on a single module. This opens the potential for thinner computer designs that don’t sacrifice memory or require RAM modules on both sides of the motherboard. Dell’s Precision laptops with Dell’s original CAMM design is 57 percent thinner than SO-DIMM, Dell said. The laptops released with up to 128GB of DDR5-3600 across one module and thinness as low as 0.98 inches, with a 16-inch display.

A Dell rendering depicting the size differences between SO-DIMM and CAMM.

Enlarge / A Dell rendering depicting the size differences between SO-DIMM and CAMM.

Dell

Nominal module dimensions listed in the standard point to “various” form factors for the modules, with the X-axis measuring 78 mm (3.07 inches) and the Y-axis 29.6–68 mm (1.17–2.68 inches).

Computers can also achieve dual-channel memory for more bandwidth with one CAMM compared to SO-DIMM’s single-channel design. Extra space could lead to better room for things like device heat management.

JEDEC’s announcement said:

By splitting the dual-channel CAMM2 connector lengthwise into two single-channel CAMM2 connectors, each connector half can elevate the CAMM2 to a different level. The first connector half supports one DDR5 memory channel at 2.85mm height while the second half supports a different DDR5 memory channel at 7.5mm height. Or, the entire CAMM2 connector can be used with a dual-channel CAMM2. This scalability from single-channel and dual-channel configurations to future multi-channel setups promises a significant boost in memory capacity.

Unlike their taller SO-DIMM counterparts, CAMM2 modules press against an interposer, which has pins on both sides to communicate with the motherboard. However, it’s also worth noting that compared to SO-DIMM modules, CAMM2 modules are screwed in. Upgrades may also be considered more complex since going from 8GB to 16GB, for example, would require buying a whole new CAMM and getting rid of the prior rather than only buying a second 8GB module.

JEDEC’s standardization should eventually make it cheaper for these parts to be created and sourced for different computers. It could also help adoption grow, but it will take years before we can expect this CAMM2 to overtake 26-year-old SO-DIMM, as Dell hopes. But with a few big names behind the standard and interest in thinner, more powerful computers, we should see a greater push for these modules in computers in the coming years.

You can download the CAMM2 standard from JEDEC’s website.

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