[November 25, 2010] S'pore firm to launch 1st Win 7 tablet outside US Tweet SINGAPORE, Nov 25, 2010 (The Straits Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A Singapore company is about to launch the first tablet computer running Microsoft's Windows 7 software to go on sale here. The 12-inch Prolink TW8 is only the second tablet using the software to go on sale anywhere in the world. The first, by tech giant Hewlett-Packard, is available only in the United States. Priced at S$899 (US$686), the 1kg TW8 made by Singapore-based Fida International, has a generous 11.6-inch touch-screen. That is bigger than that on similar devices such as Apple's iPad, which has a 10-inch screen, or Samsung's Galaxy Tab, at seven inches. The device's battery will last up to 3.5 hours if connected to the Internet via the mobile phone network, and slightly longer on a wireless network, said Fida's senior sales manager Samuel Han. He said he hopes to sell "a few hundred" units at Sitex computer show which began Thursday. The four-day event at the Singapore Expo is expected to draw more than 800,000 visitors. Shoppers spent S$48 million on electronic gadgets at last year's event, and its organiser, the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation, is expecting to top that this year as the economy booms. The TW8 is Fida's first foray into the tablet market. The 20-year-old firm's main business is manufacturing items such as modems and notebook computers. After deciding to go into the tablet market earlier this year, Fida placed its chips on Microsoft's software as it is "more business-friendly". "It has increased security features and support for Microsoft's full suite of software," said Mr Han. Schools, banks and dining outlets are now testing the tablet, which is made in China by a contract manufacturer. Contract manufacturers are companies that specialise in making high-tech products. Apple, for instance, outsources its iPhones to a Chinese contract manufacturer. To see more of the Asia News Network, go to http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/ Copyright (c) 2010, The Straits Times, Singapore / Asia News Network Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]