MSI to Introduce Intel Oak Trail WindPad at CES

We already know that CES is going to be tablet crazy. With Microsoft rumored to be introducing several tablets (and perhaps even a Windows 8 tablet), we know that slates are going to be a running theme throughout the show.

Among the companies using CES as a launch pad for its new line of tablet designs is MSI. Back in June, at Computex in Taiwan, we were introduced to the WindPad brand. MSI had two WindPads, both 10-inch tablets, one each for Windows 7 and Android fans.

This week, the company has confirmed its plans to show off Windows and Android tablets but, unfortunately, it didn't reveal much else. However, Engadget has a little more information on MSI's CES announcement and reports that the Windows device will be one of the first Oak Trail devices to be announced.

MSI's Director of North American Sales Andy Tung told the site that Intel's tablet solution shows improvement in both battery and performance when compared to the current Atom chips, but added that these are "not extremely significant." Specswise, you're looking at a 1024x600 multitouch display, mini HDMI and USB ports, and SD support.

Also at CES will be MSI's Android offering, which will run either Gingerbread or Google's specially-optimized-for-tablets version of Android, Honeycomb, and pack Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset. Tung told Engadget that the version of Android would depend on how fast Google could make Honeycomb available.

Mr. Tung said both should be available early in 2011 but declined to discuss pricing.