Toshiba takes a card from the Transformers deck, developing a laptop with a detachable display that allows you to convert your laptop into a tablet at a moment's notice. They've already developed a prototype stylus-operated display that can be detached which they've been showing off at CeBIT. Said prototype is a 12.1 inch XGA that communicates with the notebook "base station" using 802.11b. A big issue appears to be battery life, as each half needs its own power supply. That and the unit's relative size are keeping it from being brought to market for now. I guess I'm having trouble understanding what benefits this setup offers over a high-performance tablet with a wireless keyboard, but that's just me. Computerworld has the whole scoop, including an interview with one of Toshiba's research scientists.

Toshiba develops detachable display [Computerworld]

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