Viewsonic will preview an Android Tablet

A CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW in Berlin will see Viewsonic show its whole range of wares, including an Android tablet.

Better known as a display manufacturer and not as a dabbler in any other consumer electronics hardware, Viewsonic is branching out to join the Android tablet brigade.

The Viewpad 7 is a 7-inch tablet that we're assuming will run Android "Gingerbread" as Viewsonic hasn't given much away yet. What we do know is that it will have 3G and WiFi connectivity and both front and back-facing cameras so users can shoot pictures more easily from any angle.

The Viewpad 7 should come with everything you'd expect to see on a small tablet. It will have GPS, a Micro SD card slot, Bluetooth, a G-sensor and a USB port.

The company said it also plans to show a 10-inch Intel-based tablet that's dual boot with both Microsoft and Android operating systems.

Viewsonic's heritage in building displays should stand it in good stead for manufacturing the display but that might be a moot point. Nearly every manufacturer seems to be gearing up to build Android tablets. The Viewpad 7 could become just another addition to an increasingly overcrowded market space.

At least the company isn't putting all its new techology eggs into one basket. It's also going to preview a VPC220 all-in-one PC, a VMP74 HD media-streamer and a VEB625 touchscreen ebook reader with WiFi connectivity. And that's not even mentioning Viewsonic's plunge into 3D displays.

The company will be demonstrating its upcoming hardware at the IFA show at the start of September. µ