Oddly MSI didn't officially talk about its Android-powered WindPad 110 during the press conference, but it definitely exists. The 10-inch slate runs Android 2.1 and is powered by an
NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. It's got a different design to the
WindPad 100, but retains the same 10-inch capacitive touchscreen and will have a USB port and video-out capability. While the tablet runs just stock Android, we're definitely digging the curved form factor and the ability to swap out the back cover for a more "stylish" option. We heard very conflicting things about the availability of the tablet -- one product manager told us that the company hasn't decided if it will bring it to market, while another told us that they plan to sell it for $399 by the end of the year. Hopefully we'll clear that up soon, but we've got some hands-on pictures below, along with a video after the break.
posted May 31st 2010 1:19AM
Incoming video? plz?
I'm happy to see competition in this market, but I'd rather wait for a webOS-based tablet, thank you very much.
The Windows Tablet by MSI has better looks.. don't know why
@Bhima MSI Windpad.
When you need to feel a breeze down there.
MSI is going all out an Android and a Windows7 tablet!
So while MSI is being strong-armed by Intel to introduce Win7 tablets, they're really hoping that people pay more attention to the Android products behind the curtain.
@mlayer That was my first impression. It seems like Wintel is strong arming tablet vendors at this show to put Windows 7 and Intel first.
Now this is more interesting. Question is, 2.2 or not?
@pika2000
Sure as hell hope so.
@pika2000 It was showing 2.1 in one of the pics, so presumably 2.2 will be on there before it ships, but was released too recently for them to upgrade their demo machines in time for this show.
@crowl Well, I wouldn't be so sure. I mean the upgrade path for Android devices seems to be up in the air now, and we don't know MSI's track record.
@pika2000 Sorry, the apps in the screenshots pictured are all 1.x versions. Shame, I'm really looking forward to a 2.x Android tablet.
Dialer icon on the left?
@schismal
Sure looks like it. Default wallpaper and dialer icon... looks like their Android build could use some work.
Cool.!!!
Lots of choices this Christmas for those of us who did spend empty our
"slate computer" jar fund money on Volcano insurance or an iPad.
@hated one they put ports on it.. that alone will kill the iPad!
Drooling.....
Truly year of the android!
@dark star That's what they said last year. The Android year is the year when we see Android devices actually shipping in time with the latest version of the OS, not just a prototype demo with 1.x.
@hated one Yeah , The software plays a lot too. Android is very limited still. Lets see, I heard 2.2 is a revolution...
@desmo agreed, hdmi or mini-hdmi out alone makes a slate (at least to me) more desirable than an ipad.
Okay with tegra2 we need, GPS, Accelerometer, compass, camera and 720p minimum resolution.
Taiwanese companies are always worry about Intel's retaliation.
So in the show, they show Intel powered device. Then show you the best non-Intel device behind the scene.
Okay, this may just be me, but; Holy bezel.
I really want to be able to buy an Android, or WebOS, tablet this holiday season - hopefully some of these perform admirably.
so it begins...
DO WANT
Yawn.
@winbsodos
You should probably go to bed if you want to wake up in the morning to troll some more.
How big are the tegra2 internals? Why didnt they just make atom (win)/tegra2(android) dualboot as HTC SHIFT did it. Of course - SHIFT was poorly executed, but it was like 5 years ago.. What would be price difference - 100 USD more. I ll be happy to buy something like this - with superhuge battery life (netbook sized battery) running android and windows for the times I really need full OS.
Anyway - at least its first android tablet that isnt stuck with 800x480 :D
@TR47
I'm guessing dual booting windows with another OS (particularly Android / linux based, which HTC have discovered they are eying up for patent / licensing issues) would mean losing preferential licensing terms from Microsoft - if not a situation with Android licensing fees like HTC finds itself in.
if it runs android 2.x it'll be on my wish list :p
@Alexpeegs It's running 2.1, but I wouldn't want anything less than 2.2 now.
ummm...why are the 4 icons below are so small?
they should be a bit larger and accurate not like the one on the N1
And the bad news is: There is NO google experience on this tablet. No youtube, Gmail, Market, just like Archos. This is a big down, I think i might be going iPad at the end of the day.
Oh look, another tablets that's not out now or anytime soon. Release something or STFU already.
It needs to be way more than 1.6. Deinitely needs all the Google apps & market. Perhaps they are waiting to see how the Dell Streak performs or the Archos Home Tablet. The reason the ipad succeeds is that its innovative. Manufacturers are going to have to do more like the ExoPC tablet to stand out from the crowd. I too am leaning more towards an ipad simply because it is here and the android tablets seem to be announced but never appear!
@jlgreg It's running 2.1.
Isn't the issue with the marketplace on android tablets because google doesn't let people support larger screen devices yet?
@crowl
Applications are already supposed to be designed completely resolution dependent, because several phones already have different sized screens at different resolutions. I think it's more Google isn't ready to specifically make APIs or support anything other than a cellphone.
I'm sure if you got ahold of the .apks you could just install them manually.
Why we never get information about weight and autonomy of such devices - those are most important for tablet?
Any word about battery life, iPad rocks because of 10 hours, how long does this last?
@dementedacademic
probably longer, because thewin7 version of this tablet lasts 10 hours and this should out-last it...
WindPad. Is that what you get when a girl farts while she's menstruating?
I'm leaning more towards this than the win7 tablet - unless there won't be a boot up wait. Now, hopefully my budget can allow it.
By the end of year???
Need to wait so long.....................
I'm glad it's stock Android. That means we can put 2.2 on it when the standard build is released!
Im sure this will make some Android fans happy but, I really wasnt impressed by what was shown... what is Android without the Market.
As much as i want to see android tablets ready, i find this one boring.
Despite the high GPU power, the UI looks far from smooth, and without android market integration, this tablet family is going nowere.
$400 for an arm tablet? really? I've seen ion netbooks selling for less. try 200 or GTFO!
Will someone just release a decent Android tablet? Please? At this point, there are so many Android tablets waiting to be released (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Android_devices#Future_Tablet_Computers) I could care less if it was this one, or the Notion Ink Adam...