Mobile By Lee Mathews Jan. 11, 2016 8:28 am
CES isn’t all about big companies making big reveals. The little guys go there, too, hoping to turn heads with crazy gadgets like this 2-in-1 PC.
It’s not a 2-in-1 like the numerous Windows hybrids you’ve seen before. SL-Interphase’s Nitro Duo is actually two completely different computers crammed into the same VHS cassette-sized enclosure. One machine runs Windows, the other runs Android.
On the Windows side, the Nitro Duo features an older Bay Trail Atom processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The Android PC gets its own Freescale Cortex-A9 chip, 2GB of RAM, and an SD card slot for storage. The only hardware they share is the 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen display and the USB ports. It’s not exactly cutting edge stuff, however, the final product would likely ship with more current hardware. And as Liliputing points out, it’s pretty cool that they were able to produce their prototype using off-the-shelf parts.
Flip the switch to change from Windows to Android and the ARM side of the system takes over the display and any USB peripherals you’ve got connected. Switch back, and Windows takes control again. SL-Interphase also plans to ship the Nitro Duo with a docking station so you can fire it up on a big screen when you’re not using it on the go.
The Nitro Duo definitely isn’t the sleekest-looking device to come out of CES this year, however, what was on show was recently a functional prototype. Lewis took the Duo to Las Vegas to gauge interest — if there’s enough, he plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign to produce it. Any takers?