IBM did a similar idea with a dual screen thinkpad, it was not very successful. My impression was that it just didn't make a lot of sense. Imagine a couple of USB-C connected displays on either side when you wanted them, no need to lug them around when you didn't. That would seem to be a bit more sensible to me.
(The other two things that break for me are the power connection inside the laptop and the power cord where it bends just outside the laptop. I don't think I'm that rough on them...)
But yeah, I'm with you that I'd like a mini display that's detachable instead. I think one exists, but horribly overpriced, ugly, and horrible resolution.
Oh you can. You just use the display that gets slided at the front position.
> And even when there is enough room, you pretty much instantly give up any semblance of privacy.
I have a 3M display view protector foil. Works quite well, except if the spectator is directly behind you.
I think it would be awesome to have access to three screens when you're on the road, but this thing definitely won't be replacing any ultrabooks anytime soon.
But then I realized something - most of the time, when I use a laptop, I'm fairly space-sensitive. You can't use one of these on a train, tram, bus, plane, or in any situation where there are people next to you.
And even when there is enough room, you pretty much instantly give up any semblance of privacy. Even though 99.9% of the time what I have on my monitor isn't something that I'd mind a random person seeing, sometimes it is. My current laptop's an Ideapad Yoga, 13" screen, and if I close a window and a sensitive document, or picture, or what have you is on the screen it's not a big deal. My body easily hides the screen from anyone behind me, and since the laptop is so small it's usually kinda tricky to see stuff on the screen from the sides anyway. Besides, I'm one of several people in the (train car|bus|plane|area) that have a laptop open, so usually nobody's watching my screen anyway. If someone's got one of these things? I'm going to take a look at it, probably look at what they've got open and what they've got on the screens. So are the other 40 people around me.
When they say "mobile desktop", that's exactly what it is, to me. If you use the 3 screens anywhere you wouldn't use a desktop PC, things become awkward. The problem is that the vast majority of places where I use my laptop aren't places I'd use a desktop PC.