Viewsonic unveils first dual-boot Android / Windows tablet, ViewPad 100

Viewsonic used to be all about monitors and displays, but that hasn't been the case for some time. Friday at IFA in Berlin, the company announced a tablet PC, and not just an Android tablet either. The company announced the ViewPad 100, a 10" dual-boot Windows and Android tablet.

ViewPad 100 to sport Android 1.6, Windows 7 Home Premium

The most questionable choice is Viewsonic's choice of Android versions: 1.6. Unlike the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Tab, which will launch later this year with the latest version, Android 2.2 (Froyo), Viewsonic has chosen the oldest viable version (many apps will not run on 1.5).

Windows 7 Home Premium is the choice for the Windows version, and that's typical of most PCs. A good question to ask would be if a Windows Anytime Upgrade can be done on this tablet, or not?

Since it's dual-boot with Windows 7, not Android-only, the ViewPad 100 will carry a 16GB SSD. It will have an Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz processor with 1GB DDR3 RAM and two USB connections. Unfortunately, this is not a dual-core CPU.

The display will be a 10” 1024 x 600 LED panel. The ViewPad 100 will have the requisite built-in wi-fi and Bluetooth connections, a G-sensor for landscape / portrait orientation changes, a microSD slot for up to 32GB of storage, as well as assisted GPS for navigation.

There's no mention of 3G support, however, either simply for Internet connectivity (a la iPad) or for that and phone calls (a la Galaxy Tab).

Derek Wright, European Product Marketing Manager, said in an emailed press release:

"We want to supply users with a tablet computer that incorporates both Android and Windows as we believe in providing an open approach to mobile technology to users who may not wish to be tied to a specific operating system. The ViewPad 100 is aimed at those who want the speed and portability of Android without losing the advantages of having a Windows-based system. We recognise many users may be transitioning from a netbook but will possibly struggle with the learning curve of a new OS, even for simple tasks as uploading photos or using a VPN. Eventually they may choose to favour one over the other, but they will always have the choice.”

The already announced ViewPad 7, a more typical Android tablet with a 7-inch display and Android 2.2, along with 3G, is reportedly still to be the company's flagship model. The ViewPad 100 will be available in October for approximately $845 (£549). The ViewPad 7 is expected to cost around $540 (£350), or less.

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