14 DAY TRIAL // It would have been simpler for everyone if the new device from micro-Star International stuck to the standard design of ultrabooks, but the company really wanted to stand out, so it took liberties.
The result of its ministrations was the Slidebook S20, an “ideal mobile work station and leisure companion” that is a full-featured ultrabook in a convertible tablet's body.
It isn't even the standard convertible form factor. Rather than a hinge with a 360 degree rotation capability, the device, as its name implies, has a sliding cover.
The idea is different from that of Dell's XPS series, but resembles the Toshiba Satellite U925t.
Spec-wise, the 11.6-inch consumer electronic device runs a third-generation Core i5 central processing unit, unless buyers want something cheaper, in which case a Pentium CPU can be chosen instead.
Whichever the case may be, up to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM can be installed (random access memory), along with a solid-state drive (SSD) of 64 GB or 128 GB capacity.
Two USB 3.0 ports allow for peripherals to be connected, or for flash drives and the like to transfer files.
MSI also tossed in Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 support, a mini HDMI connector and audio jacks.
As for the 11.6-inch LCD itself (liquid crystal display), it has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD) and touch input support (10-finger tracking). It can be slid out from over the keyboard and used at any angle, the company claims.
Needless to say, Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system is installed on the MSI Slidebook S20.
Micro-Star International did not give a price or an ETA (estimated time of arrival) in its press release. Chances are high for both to be disclosed during CES 2013 though (January 8-11).
