As I write this article on the AceMagic X1, two things stand out most.
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.
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.
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.
There are two things that come to mind the most as I write this AceMagic X1 article. The first is its convenience: it allows you to write on one screen while viewing the laptop’s specifications and information on another integrated screen, which doubles as a chat window. Secondly, every forceful keystroke causes the handy second screen to jiggle, which causes me to become distracted and uneasy.
I’m intrigued by dual-screen laptops because I frequently use ultralight, svelte computers with small screens. However, there has been a major drawback to all of the dual-screen laptops I’ve used thus far: no integrated keyboard. That’s what I find so remarkable about AceMagic’s X1. The laptop is equipped with two 13-inch screens, a conventional keyboard and touchpad, and a secondary screen that swings out from the system horizontally rather than vertically.
However, as you can see from the somewhat unstable way that Screen B floats above my tabletop, hanging off the left side of Screen A, not even an integrated keyboard can solve every issue with 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 those who don’t know, Shenzhen Shanminheng Technology Co. in China is the owner of the PC brand AceMagic. Ltd. In addition to the X1, AceMagic offers other laptops for sale. That being said, if you are familiar with AceMagic, it’s most likely because of their Mini PCs or the malware that was found inside some of them (AceMagic has addressed this).
Given this recent past, the most intriguing thing about the X1 isn’t its specifications or benchmark scores; rather, it’s one of the most unique and ingenious ways to provide laptop users with additional screen real estate.
How the screens are operated.
With a resolution of 1920 x 1080, the X1 features two distinct 14-inch IPS non-touch screens. Compared to other dual-screen laptops on the market, this is different. For instance, the two 13.point 3-inch OLED touchscreens on Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i each have a resolution of 2880 by 1800.
The Yoga 9i and almost all other laptops featuring two laptop-sized screens have a clamshell laptop design, but the keyboard and touchpad have been swapped out for a screen. Their detachable Bluetooth keyboards, which invariably have shallow keys, are included with them. With its tactile keyboard, however, the X1 feels more like a typical clamshell when in use. With features to control which of the two screens is on, AceMagic (combined with Windows 11’s Snap layouts) streamlines the use of the dual screens and maximizes the X1’s deck.
Unfolding Screen B like a book cover on top of Screen A is necessary to access any display, though; first you must open the lid. A clever hinge system allows you to use one or both of the screens after you flip the secondary screen out to the left.
The secondary screen can be viewed by someone behind the laptop by flipping all the way back, just like the cover of a spiral notebook, and snapping onto the back of the lid thanks to the hinge’s 360-degree movement.
