Toshiba announces Libretto concept PC, dual-displays in tow

Hardware

W105 by Toshiba_Laptops-1

Today, Toshiba announced the release of their new concept PC called the Libretto. The Libretto provides its user with dual 7-inch multitouch displays, Intel Pentium U5400 1.2 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, 62 GB solid-state HD, 1 megapixel webcam, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, micro-SD card slot, and Windows 7 Home Premium. This tight little package will weigh in at a mere 1.8 pounds and have an 8-cell Li-ion battery. The Libretto is set to hit the market in the coming months, and will retail for $1,099. The unit is priced several hundred dollars higher than the iPad and netbooks, but then again, it looks like you are getting quite a bit more. We’ve got the full press release for you after the bounce. Let us know what you think?

Toshiba Unveils New libretto Concept PC with Dual-Touch Screen Design

Revealed as Part of Toshiba’s 25th Anniversary of Laptop Innovation Milestone, libretto W100 Demonstrates Next-Gen Ultra-Mobile PC Design With Full Windows 7 Functionality

IRVINE, Calif. – June 21, 2010 – Embodying a quarter-century of innovation, Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the libretto® W100, a next-gen ultra-mobile concept PC. This limited-edition 25th Anniversary device goes beyond slates, netbooks and smartphones to deliver something more: a full Windows® 7 experience that can be enjoyed across two multi-touch touch screens.

“The libretto W100 continues the libretto brand’s heritage of defying convention by packaging a full Windows computing experience into highly compact ultra-mobile form factor,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “This concept PC sets the pace for Toshiba’s continued commitment to innovation, demonstrating what’s possible in the next generation of ultra-mobile PCs. “We will issue a limited run of the libretto W100,” continued Pinto. “We design our products around the way people actually want to use them, so getting this concept PC out into the hands of early technology adopters will allow us to gather invaluable feedback that we can filter into future product developments.”

Optimized for Versatility, Performance and Convenience The libretto W100 is powered by Windows 7 Home Premium and comes equipped with an Intel® Pentium® processor1, 2GB of fast DDR3 memory2 and a 62GB solid state drive3 – plenty of horsepower for enjoying rich Internet and multimedia content. With the libretto W100, users can take advantage of all the Windows applications they commonly use, including productivity apps like Microsoft Office and video chat like Skypeâ„¢. Built-in connectivity features, including 802.11b/g/n4 and Bluetooth®5 give users the flexibility to connect from any hotspot or pair the device with their favorite wireless accessories, such as a mouse, headphones and more.

Innovative Design for Multi-tasking on the Go

With an ultra-portable weight of just 1.8 pounds6, the libretto W100 is designed to deliver a rich Internet experience, multimedia playback and the freedom to multi-task – just like a standard laptop – but with the advantage of two seven-inch diagonal touch screens7 to work, watch and play on. The multi-touch screens can work independently or together, giving users the flexibility to decide how they want to use them. Surf the Web on one screen while checking e-mail on the other, view two documents simultaneously or view a webpage across both screens. A built-in 3D accelerometer allows the libretto W100 to rotate into portrait or landscape modes, making the device look and feel more like a book, newspaper or magazine. Designed for portability, the libretto W100 features a compact and durable clamshell design with a brushed metallic finish. The traditional clamshell design allows the device to fold up for easier portability, while protecting the screens from breaks and scratches. Measuring a mere 4.84 inches by 7.95 inches when closed, the device fits easily into almost any bag or jacket pocket.

“Since producing the first Intel 286-based clamshell laptop 25 years ago, Toshiba has continued to take a leadership role in bringing new mobile computing technologies to market,” said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies. “This new libretto is yet another showcase of the company’s technological laptop prowess – they have their minds on the future and a unique, creative view on delivering innovations and form factors that provide a full computing experience in very small packages.”

Simplified Navigation with Premium Toshiba Apps

The libretto W100 features six virtual keyboard modes plus a virtual touchpad. The keyboards feature haptic technology, providing sensory feedback when the keys are selected, making typing fast, accurate and easy. Keyboard modes include simple, full, numeric 10-key and split thumb mode keyboard styles, providing users with options to fit their own personal style or task. To make navigation as easy as possible, the libretto W100 includes several premium Toshiba apps that enhance the computing experience.

  • Toshiba Bulletin Board gives users greater personalization of their desktops with fast access to daily activities, tasks and projects, plus the ability to drag and drop photos, videos, links, documents and application shortcuts into one place.
  • Toshiba ReelTimeâ„¢ helps users easily find files based on when they were opened with a simple visual history. With the flick of a finger, quickly scroll through automatically generated previews of documents, photos, videos and more, filter by file type or use the calendar to go back weeks or months.
  • File Browser makes it easier to access file folders and applications.
  • Quick access to the apps and keyboards are easily accessible via on-screen icons.

Features available on the Toshiba libretto W100 include:
– Dual 7.0-inch diagonal multi-touch displays7 (1024 x 600)
– 6-mode virtual keyboard with haptic response
– Windows® 7 Home Premium operating system
– Intel® Pentium® U5400 processor1 (1.2GHz)
– 2GB DDR3 memory2
– 62GB Solid State Drive3
– 1.0 megapixel HD Webcam with Toshiba Face Recognition
– 802.11 b/g/n wireless4
– Bluetooth 2.1+EDR5
– MicroSD card slot
– One USB 2.0 port
– TOSHIBA Bulletin Board, ReelTimeâ„¢ and PC Health Monitor software
– 8-cell battery
– 7.95″ (W) x 4.84″(D) x 1.2″(H)
– 1.8 lbs.6

Availability

A limited number of the libretto W100 concept PC will be available for purchase later this summer from select retailers and direct from Toshiba at toshibadirect.com.

Image Gallery: http://bit.ly/librettoW100

Connect with Toshiba on Twitter at twitter.com/ToshibaLaptops and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ToshibaLaptopsUS.

Read

25 Comments
  • JohnBoy

    A neat concept, might be nice if they had solid apps to complement the two screens.

  • RattyUK

    Well at least we can now see how the courier would have done.

  • Charles Froehlich

    what happens if you get grit between the two screens? msoft never let us know their solution to that quandary with their ill-fated courier.

    • Shumdit

      Good Question. It looks like they have made it where there is some space between the screens when it’s closed (it looks like there are small bumpers attached at the corners of the front screens), although I think a set of screen protectors would be mandatory due to the exact concern you mentioned. I wonder what battery life will be like with 2 screens? The fact that it’s a limited edition could mean “let’s drum up some hype and easy early sales” or “we are not sure if this is going to take off, so let’s not commit to much production and if it fails we can just say we never intended to sell many”.

  • Hawk

    I like the design a lot. I need to see this in the wild before deciding if the $1100 price tag is worth it.

  • http://gigabyt3.com Matt Fryy

    Interesting to see the concept make it this far.
    Still, it’s got nothing on the 3DS.

  • xman

    LOL.. Does anyone remember the Toshiba Libretto from the late 90′s?? It was the smallest notebook on the market running Win95. Innovative, but piece of junk that cost almost $2K.
    At least the could have changed the name to something new.

    • Michael

      It was a bit slow, but I wouldn’t call it junk. In fact, I still have mine even though it just collects dust. Can’t bring myself to throw it away.

      • Jacob

        I still have my “U100″ model and I use it everyday, can’t complain it’s a great computer besides my Qosimo G40.

  • Arthur P Johnson

    Cool form factor, but always these two questions:

    1. Will Win7 fly or (more likely) crawl with that processor, and…

    2. Battery life? With two screens to light up, you gotta ask.

    • Jarrett

      It’s a WinTel product of course the battery life will suck.

  • Arthur

    At the time those librettos were the smallest computers running a full desktop version of Windows on the market and since there were no netbooks and no competiting product they priced it acccordingly but i doubt evrn at that price they were making much money on each sale.

    I never owned one myself but playing with display models they seemed very well put together.

  • Joe C.

    Use. Less.

    Running win7 is the worst thing to do on these devices. Customized android, if it’s possible, would be perfect. Better battery life, apps, ect…

    What are you going to do on win7 besides surf the web? Play quake? Farmville? It’s amazing how much money is wasted on hardware because of shitty software. This will go nowhere

  • SOUTHERN MISS ELITE

    Why Win 7?

    Why not a linux or even an Android OS???

    It’s only 7 inch screens. You’re not going to be able to do extensive projects on this. this looks like its just perfect for reading a book while working on a project, or light gaming while surfing the web. I can’t picture myself ever fully using win 7 on such a device like this.

    And I’m sure the licensing of win 7 helped inflate this price. Nobody is going to buy this unless they’re an early adopter to the core.

  • Tdot34

    Looks good, I don’t think that price point will make it a big seller. $1100 is just too high when you are competing with netbooks and ipads, which start at half the cost.

  • Big Papi

    I want a laptop this size that will help me do my work…someone answer me…real talk…

    Can the iPad allow me to do real work? Aka…homework for graduate studies (all the powerpoints, excels, word documents) as well as regular work that I do for my job?

    Would a modified Android accomplish the same? I want something of this size to be able to download adobe documents and save them to the desktop, make some folders for storage…this hardware would fit my needs. I want something the size of and look of an iPad, but I’m worried about its functionality…or a similar concept.

    • Jarrett

      @ Big Papi,

      Quick Office is what you are asking for and it is now available for the iPad. $9.99

      Full Microsoft Office formats supported. Edit and create functions right on the iPad.

      It’s in the App Store under Productivity and it is currently listed as the top grossing App.

      • Big Papi

        Is there USB application…I surmise I can stop being lazy and just check…but, while I’m here mobile…

  • Chris

    I predict…failure

  • wild homes

    This is no Courier, that’s for sure. But it might be worth peeking at.

    • Jarrett

      @ wild homes,

      You are correct, this is no courier, this happens to be a soon to be shipping product.

      • Daniel

        i think @wild homes is referencing the os not the similarity in design, this is not the first, nor the last time we will see the dual screen concept. I personally think MSFT is doing the same with the Courier as they did with what is now called KIN. Let’s wait and see.

  • iamajim

    Oh Gawd Courier-why were you taken so young!!! Why why why????

  • http://www.kme.co.uk/Custom.html KME Custom Displays

    Wow these cost so much still, but it does look very cool and a good handy bit of kit :)

    Plus I just love this type of technology and would probably end up buying one if I have the money kicking around at the time.

  • JJFNIGHTS80

    Why does this looks like the Nintendo DS?

blog comments powered by Disqus