MSI WindPad 100 and 110 Tablet PC Hands on

MSI WindPad 110 Tablet PC Preview

So, if the WindPad 100 isn't all that because of its weighty 800g, the plastic bits and its reliance on Windows, the WindPad 110 seems like the better choice.

MSI showed us a sample of its an Nvidia Tegra 2-powered, Android-based WindPad 110 and we were even more impressed with the physical dimensions of the device than we were at the WindPad 100. With a more curvaceous design that feels great to hold: the WindPad 110 gives you that moment of enlightenment about how a product should be made.


Despite only being a developer setup, the touchscreen interface was smooth and responsive for what it offered. However, the tilt sensor and the buttons on the side were not working yet, so this is still a work in progress rather than something you'll see in the shops in a month's time.


The WindPad 110 was again made from plastic, rather than aluminium, except for the same LED-backlit multi-touch glass screen that the WindPad 100 uses. MSI did show off three alternative back panels of frosted acrylic, brushed aluminium and even bamboo. Personally, I really like the bamboo - it's no more rough than brushed aluminium, yet it's not cold to handle and it's lighter too. Plus, how many wooden electronics devices do you see out there? It's only downfall is the hard-wearing side, but we'd hardly recommend planning to use a handheld PC as a rugby ball anyway.


The WindPad 110 will have the same 3G, WiFi and SSD as the 100, but we've not been told what size disk will be used or whether it'll have a dock. With Nvidia's Tegra 2 at its heart and an Android OS, we'd expect the final product to be reasoanbly snappy and have some graphics horsepower too. At $399 MSRP it's definitely a table to keep your eyes on, but we'll have to see if MSI can deliver on the software development side of things to make the WindPad 110 as instantly appealing as the iPad.

Addendum 8th May 2010: MSI just sent us the official specification:

• CPU: ARM Cortex A9
  
• OS: Android 2.1 (currently)
  
• Display: 10” wide with Multi Touch
  
• Memory: 512MB On Board
  
• Storage: 8~16GB SD
  
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
  
• 3G Module: Sierra / Ericsson / Hua-Wei
  
• Web Cam: 1.3 M Pixels
  
• Battery Life: Longer than 10 hours (still to be accurately determined)
  
• Dimension: 260 x 180 x 16mm
  
• Weight: 850g (w/ battery)
  
• I/O Ports: 2*USB 2.0, VGA, RJ45, HDMI, DC in, Mic in, H/P out

No dual-screen tablet?

Missing from the displays was MSI's dual-screen tablet. While it was displayed elsewhere, such as the Intel areas of the show, it seems the concept will remain just that. Frankly, despite its ingenuity, we believe MSI will have more legs with the 110 above than a dual-screen device. The latter requires significant resources and development time, and the end product is likely to be pricey thanks to the twin LCD screens. Time will tell, but we're looking forward to the WindPad 110 more than the dual-screen one.