What is and how, a tablet with dual boot system Android / Windows, works.
Recently we have on the market several models of tablets with Dual Boot that enables us to switch between Android and Windows operating system by simply restarting the device. With this capability we can enjoy in the same hardware, of two operating system: Android and Windows system (it offers more options and productivity).
Differences between Dual OS and Dual Boot
First of all say that the nomenclatures are used to explain two differents concepts that We can find in nowadays tablets:
- Dual Boot = This is a system with a single BIOS that is capable of having installed two or more operating systems simultaneously on the same hardware. To switch between them is only necessary to restart the machine, the user need not take any further action.
- Dual OS = On a system that can update your BIOS to install Windows or Android, then you have to reinstall the operating system according to the BIOS.
Brief history of the Dual Boot System
One of the first system to advertise the ability to run a dual boot system was the tablet Transformer Book Duet TD300 which was not liked by Microsoft and Google, the two companies expressed their total rejection of this practice and after all of this, major companies interested in the concept ceased all work in this way. So we will not see this technique in hardware brands with international distribution and projection that would clash with powerful opponents.
But if this capacity is a key point for the largest manufacturer of processors in the world: Intel; this company showed interest in several occasions in this type of product because it offered them a huge commercial advantage on x86 processors compared to its main rival ARM which is in an unstoppable rise thanks to its low-power processors and price.
So Intel radically changed its approach in terms of consumption and relationship with the Chinese market with spectacular subsidies to manufacturers and full support to this new generation Dual Boot products, which ARM can not offer and that can be the salvation of Intel in the mobile sector thanks to its full compatibility with Windows and Android.
In recent tablets We can change from one system to another with a simple click.
Dual Boot: how these tablets work?
Dual Boot systems are possible only on devices with Intel x86 architecture processors. They can run both Windows and Android, but this requires a specific hardware and software environment. On the other hand the BIOS allows booting a system start two totally independent way, normally this system is based on technology the company Insyde although there is also a version of this system by American Megatrends .
Examples of Dual Boot tablets (August 2015):
- Teclast X98 Air 3G Dual Boot
- Other interesting models are Dual Boot: v116W Onda , Onda v919 , iWork 7 Cube and Cube iWork 11 (Bios Insyde)
In models with BIOS Insyde we can change Android to Windows by clicking an icon; with the BIOS American Megatrends need to turn off and press a key combination to enter the selection menu OS, the tablet will always need to restart completely to change the BIOS boot and start an OS or another.
Partitions in a dual boot tablet
Having a Dual Boot system means that we have the internal storage space into two separate areas and can not be modified in size. In the following description we will see how the distribution of generic space ( +1GB is lost by OS 'self storage' management):
Tablet with 32GB of internal storage
- Android: Total Partition 10GB - Space 6.5GB user available
- Windows: Total Partition 19GB - Space 10GB user available
Tablet with 64GB of internal storage
- Android: Total Partition 20GB - Space 13GB user available
- Windows: Total Partition 38GB - Space 29GB user available
So, What is going to do Microsoft with their 'Surface 3' concept?
Here is a video to see tablets in action: