Can the new interest in tablet computers revive the tired old keyboard-flipping tablets of old? Dell seems to think so, and once you check out the promo video for the soon-to-be-launched Inspiron Duo, you might think so too.
It might not seem like it amongst all the iPad fever, but tablet PCs have been around for years. A niche market, mostly serving the medical profession and dorky middle-managers who preferred to scrawl notes into Microsoft OneNote instead of learning to type, tablets languished due to running a desktop OS which was hopeless on a touch screen.
The Inspiron Duo is almost as far from these dinosaurs as is the iPad itself. The sleek-looking body looks like a fat tablet, and comes with a proper UI customized for fingers, although it’s running on top of Windows 7. Open it up, and flip the touch-screen around in its frame, and you have a proper notebook. It even has a JBL speaker-dock to slip it into for charging.
Success will rest on whether it can do both tasks properly, or whether it sports a too-small keyboard and un-intuitive touch-interface. If Dell gets it right, then the Duo could be a huge hit. Slip up and people will stick with an iPad and a proper notebook, instead of paying for a novelty Atom-powered netbook that doesn’t do anything properly. Available by year-end.
Dell Inspiron duo coming soon [Dell/YouTube via Mashable]
See Also:
- Dell's Convertible Duo Tablet Flips its Lid
- Hands On: Dell 'Streak' Tablet Feels Like Supersized Phone …
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/5kKCyPZX2lk/
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