14 DAY TRIAL // It appears that ViewSonic has made the official introduction of a certain tablet which, though not yet available, should turn some heads considering its choice of both hardware and software platforms.
Like so many other companies on the PC and consumer electronic markets, ViewSonic has entered the tablet market.
Since this new segment is growing, it only makes sense that companies would try to establish a foothold early on and grow along with it.
ViewSonic has, thus, issued a press release in which it details the ViewPad 10Pro, a slate computer that has next-generation hardware, among other things.
To be more specific, it is powered by Intel's Oak Trail platform, though the exact processor used is still a mystery.
The display is a capacitive multi-touch panel (obviously) with a diagonal of 10 inches and a native resolution of 1,024 x 600 pixels.
There is also mention of integrated WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G, though this is unsurprising considering that having wireless network access is more or less compulsory for slates.
The other major asset is the dual-boot functionality, as ViewSonic threw in not just Windows 7 Professional (for business use) but Also Google's Android 2.2 (for social entertainment).
“Last month Deloitte predicted, in its annual sector forecast, that UK companies will buy more than 10 million tablet devices in 2011,” said Derek Wright, product marketing manager at ViewSonic Europe.
“ViewSonic is well placed to capitalize on this market and offers users the best of both worlds from one device” he added.
“Dual-boot enables users to access business software that only runs on Windows and investigate Android without switching completely. Many users enjoy the familiarity of Windows but want to get to know Android and configure their preferences before using it more widely.”
The product will be on show at MWC, along with the V350 Android smartphone and the ViewPad 10s 3G (launches at CES).