The Toshiba Libretto W100 isn’t your average Windows device. We’ve not seen a big name Microsoft machine with a seven inch screen since Asus’ first Eee PC back in 2007, let alone one with two, in place of a keyboard. We’ve bagged some hands on time with this curious computer already, so read on to see it up close.
The Toshiba Libretto W100 isn’t the first twin screen Windows 7 machine we’ve seen this year (That honour belongs to MSI) but as it stands, it looks like it’s going to be the first to market in this new category.
When shut the Toshiba Libretto W100 looks like a beefy Sony VAIO P, but flip it open and you’ll see it’s something entirely different. There are two displays which can act in tandem, in both orientations (You can even fold it flat to form one large screen, though there is a big bezel to contend with if you do), which we tried out to some success reading an Amazon Kindle ebook.
Prod the physical keyboard button by the bottom panel on the Toshiba Libretto W100 however, and it’s replaced by an on screen QWERTY keyboard. We could only peck at the keys with our rather giant hands, but then that’s true of the similarly sized Eee PC 701 with a physical keyboard. The Toshiba Libretto W100′s thick halves at least kept it sturdy while we did, so we doubt you’re in danger of battering the screen into submission.
Windows 7 seemed to work at a reasonable pace, but to speed things up, Toshiba’s also added in its LifeSpace software, which can be brought up on the bottom screen too in place of the keyboard. It has finger friendly icons to help you navigate Windows’ file structure and load up apps, and actually promises to be a welcome addition where we’re used to seeing manufacturers dump bloatware on top of Windows.
The Toshiba Libretto W100 is out later this Summer – although pricing is still TBC, a spokesperson told us it would likely be in the “high hundreds”. Have a look to see if if that sounds like a deal to you right here in our gallery, and we’ll be back with a full review of the Toshiba Libretto W100 just as soon as we can.
Out TBC | £TBC | Toshiba
