MSI Plays Both Sides, Intros Android, Windows 7 "Wind Pad" Tablets

Posted 06/01/2010 at 6:09am | by Paul Lilly

4

Comments

Print

It's no longer a question of whether or not tablets are the next big thing in mobile computing, but which OS will consumers flock to? Rather than take a gamble on Windows 7 or Android, MSI has gone and unveiled a pair of Wind Pad tablets, one each built around both OSes.

On the Windows 7 front, the Wind Pad 100 sports a 10-inch multi-touch screen, Intel Z530 processor (1.66GHz), 2GB of RAM, and a 32GB solid-state drive (SSD). Android users get the Wind Pad 110, which trades the Atom chip for a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 250 setup.

There are some other differences between the two as well. According to reports, the Wind Pad 100 will feature a customized, touch-friendly layer on top of Windows and share some netbook-esque DNA, like HDMI out, a webcam, and two USB ports. The Wind Pad 110, meanwhile, will come with just a single USB port and will include swappable back plates so users can change up the looks.

Look for the Wind Pad 100 to ship by the end of the year for $500. MSI is less clear on when it will ship the Wind Pad 110, which will sell for $400.

Image Credit: MSI