14 DAY TRIAL // That MSI is going to join the tablet war sooner or later has been known for quite some time. In fact, many PC makers revealed their plan to join the fray soon after Apple launched the iPad. According to some of the more recent rumors, Micro-Star International is going to unveil a number of Windows or Android devices by the end of the year. Now, it appears that the one fated to come out first may not be the one that consumers may be most eager to get a taste of.
According to a recent report published by Digitimes, MSI's first slate will show up at Computex, in June, and will be powered by Intel's MID (Mobile Internet Device) platform. Known as the Slatebook tablet PC, the electronic will run on one of the latest Atom Zxx Series processors (Menlow) and will be pre-loaded with Windows 7.
A Windows 7 tablet is not exactly a new idea. In fact, HP was also going to launch such a product, but reportedly scrapped those plans after acquiring Palm and its webOS. The main issue with Windows 7 is that it uses up a significant amount of resources, resources that slates don't have in high quantities. It remains to be seen whether Intel's latest platform is strong enough to make up for this.
The Slatebook should be able to act as an e-reader and, per the report, its maker is already negotiating with software designers and content providers. The hardware specifications aren't completely known, but the configuration should include built-in 3G and Wifi, as well as a 10-inch display. The price should be of about 500 Euro. In the meantime, the company has reportedly decided to delay its e-reader plans and will also hold off on its NVIDIA Tegra 2-based slate until it decides that market demand is good enough.