MSI WindPad 110W

Despite going on sale last autumn, we've only just got our hands on the WindPad 110W.  Running Windows 7, the WindPad takes a simple approach to running Microsoft's desktop OS.  Without a stylus--although one is available as an optional extra--and no dock to speak of in the packaging, it stands out from other products like the Samsung Slate PC, which also tries to straddle the divide between tablets and laptops.

It seems that the WindPad is aiming to be a tablet, rather than a hybrid.  It has a 1 GHz dual-core processor from AMD, the  Brazos Z-01, and 2 GB of RAM.  An SSD drive gives you 32 GB of storage, and the multi-touch IPS display has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

MSI has been generous with inputs and outputs, including a USB 2.0 port for adding an external hard drive, keyboard, mouse, hub or anything else you'd like.  The manufacturer has also made room for a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a mini HDMI output, an SD card slot and a SIM card slot too.  That's right, the WindPad has 3G.  Finally, there's also a proprietary connector, for charging and using the dock.  

There are two 1.3 Megapixel cameras, one at the front and the other at the back.  For wireless communication, you can rely on 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth EDR and 3G if you install a SIM card.

Build Quality and Design

Most people's first reaction on picking up the WindPad is to ask how to open it.  Together, the design and build quality--not that they're particularly poor, far from it--give the impression that the screen can fold out to reveal a physical keyboard, a bit like on the Asus EeePad Slide.  Except if you try to see what's behind the screen, you'll only find electronics, rather than the hoped-for keyboard.

All in all, the WindPad is pretty compact for a 10.1'' tablet.  Of course, the border found the edge of the screen is pretty wide, wider still than most of the other tablets we've tried on other tablets.

There are three touch-sensitive buttons down the right-hand side: Home, Back and 'Tablet' mode, which toggles between the traditional Windows 7 interface and a special touchscreen version with three homescreens with large icons.

The various inputs and outputs are lined up around the outside edges.  The right hand edge includes a physical toggle that allows users to block the orientation in either landscape or portrait mode.

MSI's materials don't feel particularly cheap, but they could well have been put together with a little more care and attention.  As is often the case, relying on plastic, especially when you have multiple layers like here, leaves a few creaks and wobbles.

Screen

One smart move by MSI was the inclusion of an IPS display, a good guarantee of wide viewing angles.  On top of that, you also get good contrast, which reaches a ratio of 754:1 here, much like the majority of IPS displays on tablets, from the first iPad on.

The firm should, however, take a closer look at colour reproduction.  When we looked at the average deltaE—a lower score is better—the WindPad was at 16.5!  To put that in simple terms, it's the worst performance we've seen so far on a tablet.  Only the red and cyan manage to come in below 4.0 with reasonable reproduction of those two shades.

That leaves the WindPad to fall back on a maximum brightness of 325 cd/m², which makes the display relatively easy to read in bright sunlight.

Interface

This tablet is running Windows 7, and we're not sure that there's much else to say.  However hard you try, it's never going to be suited to running touch-based tablet interfaces.  Despite that, manufacturers are still making valiant attempts to work out the problems, and the cursor is now more  accurate, with drag and drop support and the ability to simulate a right click by tapping once and then again with a second finger.

But none of that can compete with a tablet interface that's been especially designed for mobile devices.  MSI has attempted to add an alternative interface, which launches when you press one of the touch-sensitive buttons around the outside.  A rather uninspiring grey panel slides out, with oversized, pixellated icons that represent a handful of extra touch-based features.

It's not unlike the interface that Samsung included on its Slate PC, but in that case, it's a total reworking of the system, and looks much nicer to boot.

Despite the obvious problems, we're convinced that a tablet like the WindPad might be saved by the arrival of Windows 8, which has been specifically designed for touch-based interaction.  The only real advantage of running Windows 7 is the compatibility it offers with a wide range of software.

It's also worth pointing out that the single gigahertz that the AMD Brazos Z-01 processor packs isn't really cut out for the long-haul.  You can't get much further than Minesweeper or a knock-off version of Angry Birds on the WindPad.  The orientation sensor struggles to work out which way you're pointing, and turning it round can take up to two seconds.

The best way of getting a hassle-free time out of the WindPad 110W is to stick to web browsing, working in Office and undemanding video.

Multimedia

Web browsing is fast, faster even than on the current crop of Android and iOS tablets.  We've noticed this on most Windows 7 tablets, actually: pages load quickly and look great in both portrait and landscape mode.  Flash is never a problem.  Above all, the fact that you've got Windows 7 means you can install any browser you like.

We really advise against trying to get your WindPad to deal with 1080p video, unless you actually enjoy playing with flick-books.  Just like with Android and iOS tablets, some file formats aren't supported natively—but with VLC at hand, there's not many you'll miss out on.

You can show off your photos using an ordinary app or via MSI's EasyViewer programme which offers 3D visualisations of your photos.

For audio, MSI has included powerful speakers, but they really aren't very accurate.  The firm was smart enough to fit the speakers all around the outside, meaning that you won't muffle the sound however you're holding it.

We're not sure it's worth dwelling on the 1.3 Megapixel camera, which takes worse photos than the iPad 2, which is really saying something.  There's not much detail, the colours are faded and the focus seems to be missing in action.  The only real use for the front-facing camera is video chat.

Battery Life

Whenever we read that a product has five hours of battery life, we know that the reality will be very different.  No change with the WindPad 110W, which managed between 2 hours 50 minutes and 3 hours of video playback.  Turning off the WiFi adds an extra quarter of an hour, and if you work on a variety of tasks, then you can get up to 3 hours 45 minutes, keeping a close eye on brightness and WiFi.

MSI has, however, done a great job with the standby mode, which is one of the most impressive we've ever seen.  We left the WindPad 110W alone for a full 24 hours and it had only lost a tiny proportion of its charge.