It’s starting to look like 2010 may not just be the year of the tablet… but also of the dual screen tablet/netbook hybrid. Earlier this year MSI showed off a concept device with twin 10 inch displays. You could use one display as a virtual keyboard and position the device like a netbook, or flatten the device and use it as a tablet. Recently Kno launched a seimilar device, but with twin 14 inch screens. And now it looks like Toshiba wants in on the action.
DigiTimes reports that Toshiba is working on a “dual-screen notebook” with twin 7 inch displays. It’s being developed in-house and has the codename “GuideBook.” The device could launch as early as this month.
It’s not entirely clear whether we’re talking about a dual touchscreen device with a virtual keyboard, or a more traditional notebook with pull-out displays to double your screen real estate. We’ve seen that before too.
For what it’s worth, the dual-screen fad isn’t limited to MSI, Kno, and Toshiba. HTC, Sony, and at least one company you’ve probably never heard of are exploring this space as well.
via Netbooked
Kno didn’t recently “launch” a similar product. They announced it. As for 2010 being the “year of the tablet” it might be helpful to summarize what tablets are actually shipping and available. Other than the JooJoo what other tablets have been released and shipping in 2010? I would agree that 2010 is the “year of talking about tablets”. 😉
I might add that twin 7″ displays would be a good bit smaller then what you see in that ‘illustrative” picture and as you could well imagine typing on such a device would be much like typing on a circa 2007 netbook, which were ‘true finger twisters’.