[nancyfernendes]

A radical new laptop design hides a second screen under the keyboard. The KEYBOARD SPLITS IN HALF to give you access to the other screen. While split, the keyboard still functions. It’s called the “Ergonomic Dual Screen Split Keyboard Notebook Portable Personal Computer Executive,” and it goes on sale this year to OEMs, according to the Ergonomic Keyboards web site.

A laptop that will ship this year, according to the maker, features a keyboard that parts like the Red Sea to reveal a second screen. While split, the keyboard still functions. Is the world ready for this laptop design?

It’s called the Ergonomic Dual Screen Split Keyboard Notebook Portable Personal Computer Executive and, according to the Ergonomic Keyboards site, it goes on sale this year to OEMs. The patents are for sale, too.

No, these aren’t going to take over the market. But I’ve reported before on the coming age of dual-screen laptops, where the keyboard of a clamshell laptop will be replaced by another touch-screen. The problem with this vision is that people may hesitate to give up their physical keyboards.

Will the industry start experimenting with “missing link” or “transitional” laptop form factors where the systems have both two screens and a physical keyboard? If so, this idea is interesting.