Micro-Star International Co Ltd (MSI, 微星科技), a leading Taiwanese maker of motherboards and notebook computers, said yesterday it would start supplying its first tablet devices to European and US telecom operators next quarter to compete with Apple Inc’s iPad.
MSI is set to showcase its tablet PC, dubbed MSI Slatebook, during the annual computer trade show, Computex, in Taipei.
The Slatebook, which is equipped with a 10-inch touch screen, runs on Microsoft Inc’s Windows 7 operating system, which MSI said is a more stable platform than the Android system.
PHOTO: NICKY LOH, REUTERS
MSI’s tablet PCs also offer Internet access via Wi-Fi or 3G technology.
“We are taking a different road from Apple’s. We will sell our tablet PCs largely through the telecom channels as they will supply content for the device,” MSI president Joseph Hsu (徐祥) told a media briefing.
However, Hsu was cautious about the uptake of tablet PCs, despite the iPad’s success.
“People [electronic makers] are just testing the water,” Hsu said, as PC makers search for new growth drivers given that the netbook computer market is saturated.
“I don’t expect to see significant shipments until next year when some technological barriers and content problems are resolved,” Hsu said.
Talking about the company’s product strategies, Hsu said MSI had no plans to venture into the e-reader market as the target users largely overlap with those for tablet PCs.
Besides, Hsu said he was optimistic about PC demand in the second half as he saw the European debt crisis as a short-term shock.
“We believe the European debt crisis will only affect consumer confidence in the short run as GDP growth and the banking system in most European countries like Germany are still solid. People are also beginning to have more money to spend,” Hsu said.
MSI expects its second-quarter revenue to fall about 10 percent from NT$23.58 billion in the first quarter.
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