Acer has been displaying and taking pre-orders for their new dual-boot Aspire One netbook this week at the Taipei Computer Application Show.
The Aspire One AOD255 will allow users to boot into either Windows XP or Google Android during startup. This allows the customer a choice of a quick-boot or a more full-featured operating system, something that is generally not available on a computer directly out of the box.
This isn’t the first time that Acer has released a dual-boot netbook configuration. The AOD255 is, however, the first model to feature a Windows XP and Android pairing. It is also the first time that Acer is including a configuration utility to allow the user to choose which OS to load, rather than having to access Windows through Android.
The AOD255’s hardware configuration is pretty standard for a netbook. The model includes a 10.1-inch display, Intel Atom processor, 160GB HDD, 1GB DDR2 RAM, and a 3-cell battery.
There is currently no word on whether this configuration will be a worldwide offering, but MSRP has been set at the equivalent of approximately $379 USD. An upgrade to a 6-cell battery is also available for an additional $75.
I’m actually surprised that Microsoft is now open to manufacturers shipping computers that are dual-booting with an OS from a competitor. When I was involved in the industry a few years back, Microsoft was largely insistent on OS exclusivity and would threaten to restrict licensing to companies who strayed. They fought manufacturers who wanted to ship Linux-based operating systems on their lower-end models. Is this a sign of a kinder, gentler Microsoft or is there something to be gained by allowing dual-boot configurations with Android?
