Insyde makes firmware and software tools for the boot environment on PCs and tablets before initializing the operating system. The company can provide the firmware and tools based on standard UEFI boot specifications for the dual-boot Windows RT and Android devices, and the company has seen interest from some device and chip makers, said Aven Chuang, general manager of the PC business group at Insyde Software.

The company's products are used in devices based on both x86 and ARM architectures. Insyde is already working with Texas Instruments to bring the UEFI boot to TI's OMAP processor for Windows RT, and the company's products are also used in PCs from Lenovo, Acer, Dell and other companies. Insyde demonstrated an Android tablet running on an Intel Medfield processor with its boot firmware at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

A dual-boot would give users the option to load the operating system of their choice, Chuang said, adding that if a device or chip maker asks for such dual-boot functionality, it will develop it.

Microsoft developed Windows RT for ARM processors, and the OS is due for release on Oct. 26. Microsoft, Asus and Samsung are due to release devices with Windows RT, and Microsoft is working with chip makers Qualcomm, Nvidia and Texas Instruments to bring Windows support to ARM devices.

Microsoft has said Windows RT will be sold only pre-loaded on tablets and PCs because of the high levels of software and hardware integration, according to a Feb. 9 . And chip makers have dismissed the idea of being able to uninstall Windows RT from tablets to install a supporting version of Android.