The iPad might have grabbed the headlines in most of the Indian tech media, but it is by no means the only tablet to hit Indian stores over the weekend. Also, released in the Indian market today is the MSI Windpad 100W, one of the tablets shown by MSI at CES 2011. And while it does not come with the wave of hype that accompanied the iPad, it does pack in some very impressive specs.
The WindPad 100W has a 10 inch capacitive display, 2GB RAM, 32 GB storage, dual cameras, a mini HDMI port, a USB port, a card reader, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It runs Windows 7 (starter edition) and is powered by the Intel Melow Z530 (1.6 GHz) processor. And, while at 800 grams, it is not exactly featherweight, it still remains on the portable side, and serves up six hours of battery life besides.
Taking a leaf out of those who drape skins over Android, MSI has placed its WindTouch UI interface over the traditional Windows one to give users a better experience. All of which does not sound bad at all. What does strike a rough chord however, is the price tag of Rs 34,500, which is well above both the iPad and Galaxy Tab, and is significantly more than most of the netbooks and some of the notebooks running Windows 7.
But it would be premature to judge it without giving it a try, which is what we intend to do in the coming days. As of now, we hope manufacturers take a leaf out of MSI’s book and bring their CES products to India.
