Japan’s Toshiba Corp. thinks it has identified a new class of device, a multipurpose mobile computer, that is a fully functional personal computer and an e-reader. To meet that demand, Toshiba has announced a new clam-shell device that comprises two LCD screens and no keyboard. It runs Microsoft Corp.’s  (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows 7 operating system

The Libretto W100, as Toshiba has named the device, is expected to compete with the iPad from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and the Kindle reader from Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) in the Japanese market following its launch in August. Exactly how limited the number of machines to hit the market will be was not specified, so it’s not clear if Toshiba really expects to build the device for the longer term.

Instead of a physical keyboard, the W100 features a virtual keyboard display on one of the touchscreens when the device is open in landscape mode. Six different keyboard configurations are possible. In portrait mode, as in the illustration below, the W100 displays web pages or e-books.

This is not the first dual-page device to be introduced, but it is the first that allows for keyboard input. Taiwan’s Asus International announced a dual-screen e-reader last September, and MSI (Micro-Star International Co. Ltd.), another Taiwanese computer maker, introduced their entry at last January’s Consumer Electronic Show.

A dual-page e-reader does not seem like a big improvement over a Kindle. The color screen and being required to turn few pages seem to be the only benefit to have such a reader.

Neither Asus nor MCI plans to market the devices on their own, and are still looking for partners. Toshiba, a larger player, apparently is willing to dip its toe into marketing the machine directly, but is not making a big bet on the W100.

That’s probably wise given that Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) announced today that it was dropping the price of its Nook e-reader to $199 and launching a new WiFi only model that costs $149. The Toshiba Libretto W100 is expected to cost more than $1,300. The W100 may be more capable than a simple e-reader, but that’s an awfully large price difference.

The market is still crazy for the iPad and a dual-page tablet computer/e-reader, especially one that costs more than twice as much as an iPad, doesn’t seem likely to carve out any space for itself. And more competition for tablet sales is coming. Somehow, this gadget does not look like the product that will lead Toshiba’s PC division back to break-even operations.

Paul Ausick

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