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Dual Touch-Screen Libretto W100 Commemorates Toshiba's 25th Anniversary

by Terrence O'Brien on June 21, 2010 at 01:45 PM

Libretto W100
The Libretto has a long and distinguished history; it was one of the first and most successful devices in a category that eventually came to be known as UMPCs and netbooks. When it launched in 1996, cramming desktop-quality PC components into a package that weighed five pounds (much less two) was unheard of. So, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its laptop business, Toshiba is reviving this storied chapter in its history with the Libretto W100.

The W100 updates the Libretto line by adding a 1.2GHz ultra-low voltage Pentium processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD. More interestingly, though, the the W100 ditches a physical keyboard for a second seven-inch capacitive touchscreen. We saw a similar device from MSI at CES in January, but the company has taken its sweet time in getting the dual-screened computer to market. Now, it looks like Toshiba will beat MSI to the punch, as it plans to release the W100 to consumers (albeit in a limited edition) in the coming months.

Libretto W100



When it does land, the Libretto's $1,099 price tag shouldn't put off too many folks, thanks to the reasonably powered internals. This isn't a screamer, that's for sure, but it's certainly faster than a netbook. And it isn't a stripped-down pseudo-computer like the iPad. Toshiba is trying to combat the rather un-touch-friendly Windows 7 interface with a series of custom-designed virtual keyboards and a sort of bulletin board-like landing page that you can populate with widgets.

After getting a brief hands-on with the device, our friends at Engadget expressed concerns about heat and the stability of the custom software, but we're still intrigued. The world has been promising us dual-screened laptops for some time now, and the first company to bring one to the consumer market will earn a special place in our hearts. [From: Engadget. Scobleizer and Telegraph]

Tags: computers, dual screen, DualScreen, laptops, libretto, libretto w100, LibrettoW100, top, toshiba, umpc, w100

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