Viewsonic’s previous tablet attempt, while easy on the wallet, failed to impress the Gizmodo US crew. It looks like the company has decided to dip its toes in the other end of the pool — the expensive, massive end — going by this invitation for an event at this year’s Computex, which teases a “smart business tablet monitor” measuring 22 inches in size. 22 inches.
Details are scarce currently, but according to Engadget, the invite states Viewsonic will be showing off prototypes from its “Touch and Connect”. There’s mention of projectors, cloud computing and even a Windows 8 touchscreen, but as far as interest goes, these items can’t hold a candle to the idea of a 22-inch tablet with Ice Cream Sandwich under the bonnet. The event is scheduled for June 5, so no doubt we’ll have more details then.
One has to wonder at what point a tablet become a touchscreen monitor? 22 inches is a respectable size for an everyday desktop display and even Viewsonic appears to be marketing it with some sort of dual functionality in mind. It’s a fun idea, actually — plug it into a desktop (via HDMI, hopefully), do you busywork, then unplug it and take it with you.
It’ll all come down to weight and bulk, but I don’t see it as the sort of device you cart around very much. At most, you might move it from your office to the boardroom and perhaps to the odd offsite client. Still, maybe it’s an untapped market, especially if Microsoft’s keen on 80-inch business “tablets”..
[Engadget]