Asus unveiled its work-in-progress in the Precog
project at its Computex 2018 press conference in Taipei. And there were more
than a few "oohs" and "aahs" from the audience as head of
global marketing, Marcel Campos, held up a petroleum rainbow shimmering,
dual-screened laptop.
The Asus Precog is designed to maximise the
artificial intelligence experience. AI has become part of the everyday user
experience in many devices, with voice assistants and machine learning blending
seamlessly with regular user interactions. This particular concept notebook
promises to take that even further.
It can be used in several form factors for a start.
A 360-degree hinge means it can lie completely flat, in tent form, book
(portrait) form and, of course, stand form. And, because it has dual screens
rather than a traditional keyboard and trackpad, it has many uses.
There is a virtual, on-screen keyboard as well as an
optional, external physical one. Asus claims that the virtual version responds
intelligently to the user, adapting in size or location depending on where the
user’s hands hover making the old complaint of ill-sized keyboards redundant. Also,
the moment a stylus touches the lower screen the mode switches automatically
which could prove to be a smooth and intuitive system. The device is billed to
come with built-in Windows Cortana and Alexa, so there will be plenty of voice
control possibilities too.
While we are often treated to glimpses of the future
at Computex it’s often the case that a prototype doesn't work. However, we were
pleasantly surprised to see working models available to view after the
conference. Alas, they were not quite at the hands-on stage, but it is fair to
say that Asus seems to be reasonably far along with the Precog project and we
expect to see many more features added before the projected launch in 2019.
As you might expect, Asus is planning to load the
device up to the nines, so we’re probably looking at a laptop that will set you
back at least £ 2,500 at the full spec mark. You should expect to pay at least
£ 1,900 for an entry-level version, according to our Asus sources.
