Dual screened tablets have always turned out to be more of a crowd favorite than their single screened counterparts and the Kno tablet with dual screens has its fair share of public interest ever since it first made its appearance at the D8 show this year. Also, the going has never been smooth for tablets with a dual screen and recent history has been ample proof of that. Of the few such devices that were unveiled, only one so far – the Libretto W100 from Toshiba – ever got to see the light of day, while others slipped into oblivion. The most prominent and not to mention the most disappointing of it all, the Courier from Microsoft that was aborted altogether.
That it isn’t exactly smooth sailing for the Kno as well is evident when the company recently announced they would be letting go of one of the screens to come up with a more conventional looking tablet. However, for those who have been holding their breath for the dual screened version, there is still ample hope as the company also announced they aren’t ceasing dual screen production. The Kno with dual screens is on track for a year-end launch, when it will be up for pre-order.
However, what will come alongside that is a tablet that looks like the iPad as well as a plethora of other tablet devices launched so far and cost seems to be the prime motivator for having adopted a single screen tablet design. As the company CEO Osman Rashid puts in, “Even though the Kno pays for itself in 13 months, the smaller up-front investment of the single screen version will allow more students to use our learning platform.”
The cost of the dual screen version was earlier stated to be below $1000, though there are no announcements yet if the single screen version will be less than $500. Sure, the less of an impact it makes on monetary resources the better (while holding on to quality), but what makes the price of the Kno tablet even more important is the fact that the tablet is aimed for use as an aid in education where it is intended to act as a resource of digital book as well as other course materials. And the educational market is price sensitive to say the least.
So what you are likely to get is a single 14.1 inch capacitive touchscreen that’s likely to have a resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels. The original Kno that was displayed at the D8 was as impressive as it has been ambitious. There were two screens where one will allow the students to go through the digital version of their books while the other screen will allow them to jot down notes or explanations in a manner that would be far more convenient that any method now in use.
However, while all of that might be good, what’s also important is that the price has to be good as well. And it’s perhaps this line of thought that has prompted the makers to let go of one screen that will let them have a product in a lower price bracket. The dual screened version, while adding to the product portfolio, will be positioned higher up to those who don’t mind shelling out more to have more features and the advantages of the twin screen format.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
