With the Toshiba Libretto W100 Toshiba wants us to rethink the way we use a Netbook. The W100 is being billed as a dual-screen mobile PC; it incorporates a fold-out design with two screens that can either work together or independently for a versatile user experience. This is something that has not been done in the industry to date.

For example, the unit can be placed on its side, the one screen acting as the touch screen keyboard, while the other acts as a traditional screen, displaying an open document to type into. In this way, it can act like a traditional Netbook. Flip the unit vertically, however, and the screens can work together to display two pages of an eBook. As another example, one screen could display a document or eBook page, while the other can be used for notes or annotations. The possibilities are seemingly endless.

Powering the device is an Intel 1.2Ghz Pentium U5400 processor. While this is a bit underpowered by Netbook standards, it is more power than the average Smartphone, and since Libretto W100 seems to skirt the line between a handheld PDA-style device and a Netbook, this seems an appropriate choice. The energy savings of including a Pentium processor should also help battery life, which is always important for a compact mobile device.

Speaking of compact, the device has two 7 inch screens and is only 1.2 inches thick when folded up. It weighs a mere 1.8 pounds, making it very portable, and its overall size is small enough to fit into a purse or bag.

The main issue could be the software. The device is slated to use a modified version of Windows 7, which is excellent for software compatibility with the programs you already use, but it remains to be seen how the modified interface works in a Windows environment.

The Libretto W100 is expected to see a limited release in August of 2010, and is expected to cost around $1,100. Whether users will like the dual-screen interface is unclear, but the concept is definitely something to keep an eye on.