MSI S20 Slider 2 glides out of cover

MSI has launched a new version of its S20 Slider hybrid today. The S20 Slider 2 takes last year's design and updates it with the Intel Haswell chipset and... erm... I can't see any other differences. However Haswell brings a lot of benefits to mobile users thanks to its energy efficiency and improved integrated graphics, as seen in many previously updated laptop and hybrid ranges.

MSI talks up the S20 Slider 2's desirability in its press release, saying it is "guaranteed to meet all your work and leisure needs". Furthermore, the Taiwanese systems and computer parts maker says "It incorporates the thin elegant design and full HD resolution of an ultrabook along with the smooth touch control, multi-angle view screen of a tablet. Now, you can glide back and forth between work and pleasure mode with ease."

The Slider 2 retains the original's useful and adaptable form factor but the same lack of pointing device (like trackpad or trackpoint) so you need to prod the screen a lot or plug in a mouse. Users can choose the angle of the screen and use the keyboard or just slide the screen down flat for simple tablet usage. The hybrid packs a full array of ports, including a card reader, mini HDMI, USB3.0, BT4.0, and Giga LAN port.

As you can see above, I was compiling a spec comparison table and the only difference is courtesy of the Intel 4^th generation processors that are now available. However Intel's 22nm technology brings benefits of higher frequency and better performance, while reducing power consumption. Also the S20 Slider 2 gets Intel's newest integrated graphics, MSI says it uses the HD4600 which "supports the newest Microsoft DX11 effects, OpenCL v1.1, and OpenGL 3.1 and accelerates Quick-Sync-coding speeds by 50~80 per cent".

MSI has yet to inform us of pricing and availability dates for this refreshed S20 Slider model.