Intel confirms Dual OS: Windows and Android under one roof

At tonight’s CES press conference Intel officially confirmed its Dual OS initiative. In short, the idea is to put Windows and Android together onto Intel-powered devices, particularly tablets and laptop convertibles.

Putting Android on a Windows machine isn’t anything new, but most attempts have involved some form of emulation. The Dual OS approach supposedly does not feature Android running on top of Windows, or vice versa. Furthermore, switching between the two platforms only takes around 10 seconds or so. If this sounds familiar, that’s because we already saw a Dual OS device earlier today, the ASUS Transformer Book Duet.

So why put Android on a desktop-class machine? Windows is still generally preferred for things like business programs, hardcore gaming and other traditional PC activities, but Android is really better on the go and for casual purposes. Having both operating systems means you don’t have to make any sacrifices, at least in theory.

It’s still unclear how well the Dual Boot concept will actually work. For one thing, there will be two seperate operating systems to deal with, which might be confusing for some users. There’s also potential security issues, though Intel has announced a new “Intel Device Protection Technology” that it says should help further protect these devices and help them meet corporate standards for enterprise level security.

Details on how the Dual Boot technology works or what all devices will end up using it are still pretty scarce at the moment, but we’ll likely learn more throughout CES and even in the months to come.

What do you think, does it make sense to marry Android and Windows? Intrigued or do you think that the idea will ultimately prove unsuccessful?