CES 2011: MSI to launch Windows and Android tablets

Taiwan's MSI, best known in the U.S. for its low-cost netbooks and all-in-one desktops, is the latest company to announce plans to roll out tablet computers at the Computer Electronics Show next week.

While that alone might not be major news (we expect to see as many as 50 new tablets at CES), MSI's approach is a bit different than what we've seen from other manufacturers. The company will be introducing two different tablets: one running Microsoft Windows, the other running Google's Android OS. Most new tablets from other manufacturers are likely to be Android-based, and the few Windows-based versions are expected to be early announcements from manufacturers that plan to support Microsoft's new tablet initiative.

MSI's WindPad 100W won't be one of them. Instead, the tablet will support the current version of Windows 7 running on an Intel processor. It will include a 32GB solid-state drive, Wi-Fi, and a 10.1-inch multitouch display. MSI had announced and even demonstrated the Windows tablet earlier this year, but the company delayed its launch while it shifted development efforts to the Android platform.

The Android tablet, the WindPad 100A, will include GPS, Wi-Fi, and a 3G option (MSI hasn't yet announced which cell carriers will support the WindPad). MSI claims that the 100A will run for up to 10 hours on battery power. The manufacturer hasn't announced pricing for either product; earlier reports put both at roughly $500.

How will the new tablets stack up, and will either amount to any real competition for Apple's iPad? At this point, it's impossible to tell, and MSI's limited track record makes it difficult to use previous products as any kind of benchmark. When we tested the company's Wind netbook in 2008, we liked its keyboard and display. More recently, we took a look at the company's all-in-one AE2420 3D-046US 3D desktop and found its performance to be excellent. (Full Ratings available to subscribers.)

We'll be at CES next week and will report on the WindPad, along with the rest of the dozens of tablets we expect to see at the show.

—Marc Perton

—Marc Perton