First it seemed that everybody’s middle name suddenly changed to cloud.

Now every boy simply has to have a tablet.

The tablet du jour is a thing that’s coming out in Q1 from Cisco called Cius (say see-us). Oh, stop rubbing your eyes, yes, Cisco.

It’s a little seven-inch Android-on-Atom affair fitted out with two – count ‘em – two cameras that are meant to support Cisco’s videoconferencing mantra.

The dingus is going to target business and, mind you, iPad, which they say is more for the consumer, has no cameras.

Cisco Cius HD Video Collaboration [Source: Cisco Systems]

Through the wonders of some undecided somebody’s virtualization and virtual desktop that Cisco expects to ship bundled with the thing, Cius should be able to deliver Windows apps. If that doesn’t suit, Cisco means to exploit Android’s SaaS app store and try to persuade ISVs to add to it by chucking in some APIs of its own. It argues consolidation and reduced software licensing costs. The widget is also compatible with Cisco’s suite of business software.

There’s an optional docking station complete with a phone that’s supposed to turn the thing into a petit PC as well as the kind of camera phone anticipated at the 1936 World’s Fair.

Cisco is still wrestling with price. All it can say at this point is that Cius will cost less than $1,000.

The widget will do HD video streaming and real-time video, multi-party conferencing, e-mail, messaging, browsing and should be able to produce, edit and share content stored locally or in the cloud. Cisco says cloud-borne translates into lower capital costs and cost-per-user. Cius will have 32 gigs of Flash memory for storing files and applications and can share data with a PC.

It’ll support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G cellular with 4G to come. Battery life is supposed to be good for eight hours. It only weighs 1.15lbs (0.52kg) maybe because the battery is detachable.

Customer trials are set for Q3