ViewSonic announces ViewPad 100 - a 10" dual-boot Windows 7/Android tablet

We just got a press release from ViewSonic that it will be showcasing the "world's first" dual-boot Windows 7 Home Premium/Android 1.6 tablet at IFA 2010. Unlike its 7" Android tablet, the ViewPad 100 has a 10" capacitive LED touchscreen with 1024x600 pixels of resolution, and is powered by Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz chipset with 1GB DDR3 RAM. Last we checked, this CPU/GPU combo struggles with HD video, and gives around 7-8 hours of battery life on a netbook, but what the performance and battery endurance will be on the ViewPad 100, is still unclear. The tablet comes with two USB ports, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, accelerometer and a 1.3MP front-facing camera.

ViewSonic is using a 16GB SSD for quick booting, and storage can be expanded via a microSD card slot with up to 32GB. The ViewPad 100's reason for existence is quickly summarized by Derek Wright, European Product Marketing Manager:

"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 ViewPad 100 will be available from authorized resellers in October with an MSRP of £549 (~$845). Any takers?

source: ViewSonic