MSI to Hit Tablet Bandwagon

It seems that announcements of new tablet PCs are still coming in thick and fast, with MSI expected to release its tablet offering in the second half of this year.

It certainly looks nice, though that border is a bit wide...

Indeed, it seems that MSI’s device will be running Google’s Android OS, which is in keeping with Apple’s decision to run with its iPhone OS… so we could well be moving towards a world in which more tablets run mobile operating systems, rather than more resource-hungry desktop OSes. Indeed, Dell’s soon to be released Mini 5 tablet runs Google’s Android too. Still, there are plenty of Windows XP-based tablets out there.

The MSI device is an interesting beast beyond its OS though, with TomsHardware reporting that when it releases it will boast Nvidia’s second generation Tegra mobile graphics setup. Moreover, the device’s display will measure 10-inches but be entirely capable of playing movies in 1080p, which indicates a nice 16:9 aspect, which should put it ahead of Apple’s iPad for movie lovers.

Moreover, it’s been pointed out that because the device will be running Android, multitasking is something users can expect to work at launch. The lack of multitasking ability has been one of the most criticised aspects of the iPad, though the current rumours flying around seem to indicate that Apple could well add the ability to multitask with some large-scale firmware update around the time when it releases its next update to the iPhone line, which is usually in June.

Multi-tasking aside, it’s curious to see so many tablets make the shift towards a mobile OS rather than a tablet-specific or scaled-down version of a desktop OS. Certainly, a tablet running Windows would be fantastic for those who don’t want to leave their desktop applications behind, it seems that the tablet is emerging as a device that sits between the netbook and the smartphone…

It’ll be interesting to see how well they’re received, given the mixed response Apple’s tablet has been met with.

Tags: 1080p, 16:9, app store, apple, bandwagon, Full HD, iPad, iPhone OS, ipod touch, MSi, multitasking, tablet, touch screen