It’s been couple of month since Taiwanese corp Viewsonic has officially announced their latest Android 1.6 / Windows 7 dual-booting ViewPad 10 in America, and today it’s finally available and ready for shipping. Of course, as ever, you’ll need to pay for the 10.1 inch, 1.66GHz Atom CPU tablet with hard cash before it actually departs your way, but frankly speaking, the prices aren’t dirt-cheap enough to justify an immediate acquisition. As a matter of fact, they have some pretty high pricing rates, despite the mediocre line of innards specs (e.g 2GB of RAM, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera). In terms of numbers we are looking at $599 for the 16GB SSD version which comes preloaded with Windows Home 7 Premium OS, or $679 for the 32GB drive, which packs inside the Windows 7 Professional flavor. Is it worth getting one over an iPad 2? Overall I would get one, but it needs to come down in price dramatically. Demo video and full PR after the break.
Update: If by chance you happen to be a proud owner of the 10-inch dual-boot ViewPad device, there is a new update, coming up to the Android 1.6 tablet – Yes, you’ve heard that right boys and girls, the tablet’s getting an Android 2.2 (Froyo) upgrade. However, if you’re still on the hunt for one, you can either choose between the $599 Windows 7 Home Premium and 16GB slate or the $679 Win 7 Professional flavor (32GB) instead.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unczooD0e9A[/youtube]
ViewSonic Delivers the Best of Both Worlds With Immediate Availability of Its ViewPad® 10 Tablet
10.1″ Dual-Boot Tablet Brings to Customers a New Level of Convenience
WALNUT, CA–(Marketwire – March 7, 2011) – ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today announced North American availability of the ViewPad 10. Giving users a choice between Windows® 7 and Google Android™ within the same device, this 10.1″ dual-boot tablet is ideal for maximizing business productivity alongside entertainment.
“The lines of professional and personal life are blurring, which creates a need for devices that are suited for both sides,” said Adam Hanin, vice president of marketing for ViewSonic Americas. “The ViewPad 10 delivers just that by enabling users to merge business productivity with personal enjoyment anywhere, anytime. We are proud of our 10-year tablet history and are dedicated to further extending our tablet product portfolio to meet every individual need.”
Packed with a high speed Intel® Atom™ 1.66GHz processor and integrated 2GB of memory, the ViewPad 10 is a powerhouse of mobile computing. Built with a 1024×600 panel with LED backlight technology partnered with capacitive multi-touch functionality, the device provides a crystal clear viewing experience, even when multitasking across several applications.
The ViewPad 10 enables consumers to take Windows on the road, allowing access to Flash-based content and programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat, wherever they are. Plus social media applications like Facebook and Twitter, sharing photos and surfing the Web through Google’s Android 1.6 platform are only a switch away, making this device the perfect companion for those looking to work, play and share on the go. Throw in the built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and 1.3 megapixel built-in front camera, the ViewPad 10 is fully optimized to keep users connected.
To ensure the ViewPad 10 grows with each person’s individual needs, the device offers expandable memory options via a micro SD card slot for up to 32GB of additional space. The dual-boot ViewPad 10 is now available — with Android 1.6 and either Windows 7 Home Premium (with a 16GB SSD hard drive) or Windows 7 Professional (with a 32GB SSD hard drive) for respective ESPs of $599 and $679.
For more information on ViewSonic’s products, please visit ViewSonic.com or follow ViewSonic on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
