It’s just been two days after the launch, and the Libretto W100, Toshiba’s dual-screened Windows 7 tablet, has already sold out. Amazon now lists the $1,100 tablet as “Currently unavailable,” with a note that it’s unknown if or when the item goes back in stock. Unless Toshiba just stocked a dozen units, a $1,100 Windows 7 tablet that sells out after two days has got to be a good sign for the dual-screen tablet form factor. Toshiba did say that the W100 was going to be a limited offer, but with the current demand, maybe they’ll put out another run. If they won’t, it’s safe to assume that someone else will because really, the design looked like a winner.
Well, that was quick. Less than two weeks after Toshiba debuted the Libretto W100 in Japan, they’re now offering it worldwide now. In case you missed it, the Libretto W100 is Toshiba’s answer to the recent compact slate/ tablet trend started by the iPad. It offers a different twist though, with two touch screens that can open and close like a notebook (with the bottom screen showing a virtual keyboard, of course), or held open on its side to work as a perfectly natural ebook reader.
The Toshiba Libretto W100, the world’s first dual-screened tablet that folds like a notebook, will initially launch in Japan on August 11. Powered by a Windows 7 OS, the device packs in a pair of 7-inch multi-touch screens that change depending on running apps. When set down and used like you would a notebook, the bottom screen turns into a virtual keyboard. A pair of accelerometers can also turn the screen automatically for reading e-books like you would a regular book.
How do you beat—or at least try to compete—with the new breed of tablets coming out? How about coming out with a tablet PC that sports two screens? Toshiba recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of their notebooks by announcing the Libretto W100, a Windows-based tablet PC that comes with a pair of 7-inch multitouch displays that crack open like a book and can be laid down to work like a tiny, touch-based laptop.
