Asus announces iPad competitor, the Eee Pad

[Thilaga]

Asus, not to be left behind if the netbook market disappears for tablets, has announced two new tablets at Computex Taipei.  The tablets are called the Eee Pad EP121 and Eee Pad EP101TC.  The former is a 12-inch tablet running Windows 7, while the latter is a 10-inch tablet running Windows Embedded Compact 7.

[smg id=7481 type=full]


The EP121, as mentioned, will run Windows 7, and will feature a Core 2 Duo processor.  It will be essentially a fully function laptop, especially when docked in the keyboard attachment which transforms the tablet into a laptop.  It will also have a virtual keyboard for taking it without the extra weight or bulk.  No other specs are known yet.  Asus is touting the EP121 as a "multimedia player, e-reader, and compact computing device," that also multitasks and can be used for video conferencing.  Asus claims the EP121 will have a 10 hour battery life.

The EP101TC looks to be closer to a direct iPad competitor.  It is a 10-inch screen with Windows Embedded Compact 7, presumably running on a Tegra 2 or similar.  The UI looks to be a mash-up of some elements from Zune HD and Android, which could prove interesting.  Asus looks to be billing this as an always connected device, giving you easy access to cloud services.  It's not clear if that means it will have a 3G radio in it, but it would make sense.  There isn't much else avaiable about the EP101TC.

Hopefully these tablets don't end up like the Eee Keyboard, delayed to the point where it gets tiresome.  As of now, they are scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 2011, with a price range of $399 to $499.