Component manufacturer MSI showcased a convertible Ultrabook at CES 2013. Dubbed the Slidebook S20 and essentially a tablet with a slide-out keyboard - hence the name - the S20 packs in an Intel Core i5-3337U low-power chip (17W), HM77 chipset, 128GB mSATA SSD, 8GB RAM, and Intel HD 4000 Graphics into a slimline package that is around 20mm thick.
The 11.6in IPS screen has a full-HD, 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution that, to our eyes, is even and sharp. A 10-point touchscreen works well and the transformation from tablet to 'notebook' is smooth.
Running full-fat Windows 8 and laden with LAN, WiFi, mini-HDMI, USB 3.0, 720p webcam, and an integrated three-cell battery, the 1kg machine has, according to MSI, a five-seven-hour battery life under 'normal' conditions. Understanding that many of the components are also used in regular Ultrabooks, we'd be impressed if it managed more than four hours in real-world usage.
The stumbling block is sure to be the price that is set at around $1,200. We're also not enamoured with the build quality on the sample that we saw, which is predominately plastic and lacks a suitably premium feel. MSI needs to be using high-quality aluminium if it is to successfully charge the asking price, and we reckon that, although neat, the S20 should be priced significantly lower for it to warrant widespread appeal.
