MSI has added to the Taipei tablet tally with two new models – the Windows 7-favouring MSI Windpad 100 and the Android-loving MSI Windpad 110. We first spied an MSI Wind tablet back at CES in January but it’s now officially broken cover. And unlike the Asus Eee Pad, the Windpad will be blowing our way this year…
After the Asus Eee Pad, the MSI Windpad 100 might look like just another Windows 7-powered tablet unveiled at Computex but we’ve got more specs to chew on this time. It’ll use a 1.66Ghz Intel Atom Z530 processor with 2GB RAM and 32GB SSD drive for storage. There’ll also be a built-in webcam, two USB ports and HDMI out.
While the MSI Windpad 100 will run Windows 7 Home Premium, the makers are sticking a custom UI dubbed Wind Touch on top which could make things a little bit more intuitive. Engadget says the prototype is a little bit sluggish but hopefully that’ll be fixed before it’s flung out into the world.
MSI didn’t acknowledge the Windpad 110 Android tablet at its press conference but it’s been spotted in the halls of Computex. It’s a 10in touchscreen slate but powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip and running Android 2.1. It’s also physically different to the MSI Windpad 100 with a slightly curved look and switchable rear cover.
Availability for both the MSI Windpad 100 and the MSI Windpad 110 is still a bit of a mystery at the moment but both could arrive before the end of the year. The MSI Windpad 100 will apparently come with the $499 price tag we were quoted when the MSI tablet prototype was first revealed.
The MSI Windpad 110 could be as much as $100 cheaper than its Windows 7-packing sibling. Nvidia promised a rash of Android Tegra 2 tablets this year and the MSI Windpad 110 may be among them.
Let us know what you think of the MSI Windpad. Would you plump for Windows 7 or Android? Do either of the options look likely to give the iPad a run for its money?
Due late-2010 | £TBC | MSI (via Engadget)