Be still, my beating heart. ViewSonic will be showing off a 10-inch “ViewPad” tablet with an Intel processor next week that dual boots into both Android and a Microsoft-based operating system. It’s unclear whether the Microsoft part of the equation will be a full version of Windows 7 or the scaled back Windows Embedded Compact 7, which doesn’t run standard Windows programs. That it’s using an Intel processor helps make the case for Windows 7, though.
If it’s a full version of Windows 7, this would be a very wise move on ViewSonic’s part and would make for a very interesting tablet. You’d be able to use Android for light web surfing, videos, and mobile apps and then boot into Windows in a pinch to do some more serious work. Most people would probably spend most of their time in the Android side of the tablet, but having Windows 7 on board as an option would be nice for travelling, for instance, as you could theoretically get away with bringing just a tablet instead of a tablet and a laptop or netbook.
ViewSonic will also be showcasing a 7-inch ViewPad Android tablet with front and rear cameras, GPS, and some sort of app store, although whether it’s the Android Market is unknown. Google has rules for what types of devices can access the official Android app store and tablets traditionally haven’t made the cut so far, though that may all change when the tablet-specific version of Android (codenamed Gingerbread) comes out in October.
Full press release after the jump.