Earlier this week Toshiba announced the stunning dual touchscreen Libretto W100 mobile concept PC. While it will not be released until later this summer, its elegant design and well balanced specs certainly look good on paper. With dual touchscreen displays measuring 7.95″ x 3.84″ and a resolution of 1024 x 600 for each screen, it will be interesting to see if the Libretto W100 can compete in the mobile touchscreen market.
While the Libretto will initially be a limited release, the good news is that it is being used by Toshiba to gain feedback for future research and development. The Libretto W100 comes with an Intel Pentium U5400 processor (1.2GHz), 2GB DDR3 memory, and a 62GB solid state drive under the hood. However, its unique appeal is due to its dual screens, which are capable of being used both together and separately.
Both portrait and landscape views are available, with an inbuilt accelerometer for automatic switching between the two. Users can choose to use the screens independently for multiple applications, or use a single application on both screens in expanded view. When these alternate viewing options are combined with its six virtual keyboard modes and a virtual touchpad, the Libretto W100 seems like a very flexible piece of kit indeed.
Unique hardware often requires unique software solutions, and Toshiba have risen to the task with a few dedicated apps for the W100. The Toshiba Bulletin Board allows users to personalise their desktop environments and drag and drop files with ease. Toshiba ReelTime allows users to find and filter their files with a unique scrolling mechanism, and an in-built file browser allows users to manage their files seamlessly by using the touchscreen interface. As the release date gets closer, Toshiba are likely to release more applications for the W100.
With the size of both screens combined comparing well to the new Apple iPad, it will be interesting to see how consumers react to this new offering by Toshiba. Touchscreens are going to play a big part in the evolution of mobile computing in the coming years, and only time will tell if Toshiba and the Libretto W100 have got what it takes to make a dent on the market.
