Good E-Reader Computex Exclusive!
There is good news from the Asus camp – Asustek Computer has launched two Eee Pad tablets which makes it the first Tablet PC that truly has the potential to make things difficult for the high flying iPad. Of course there are a few more tablets waiting in the wings and we might have some good news on them at the Computex fair that’s slated to begin just next month.
But for now, we have the Asus Tablet PC to play around with so we know the Eee Pad EP121 has a quite large 12-inch touchscreen. What’s interesting is that the tablet will have the Intel Core 2 Duo processor at its core and will come pre-loaded with Microsoft’s Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. And yet, Asutek claims the battery will have enough juice to keep the show going for 10 hours before requiring a recharge. This when both Intel and the Windows 7 have been accused to be too power hungry.
Coming to the functionality, Asus claims the Tablet has been designed to pull off a variety of tasks like surfing the net, watching videos, computing or a host of other multimedia applications. The tablet also comes equipped with an integrated camera and is fully compliant with the Flash by Adobe Systems. So users will get to watch videos from YouTube along with a host of other video programs. What’s more, the tablet can also double up as an e-reader so that with the Asus tablet, you will never need to carry another e-reader with you. Also similar to other tablet devices, the Asus tablet will have an onscreen keyboard which can be used to type in data.
There’s also a compact desktop docking station on offer with the Eee Pad that also includes a compact cordless keyboard, all of which together can make the EeePad to don the looks of a conventional laptop of sorts.
The other tablet device – the EP101TC that Asus brought forth packs a 10-inch touchscreen and runs the Windows Embedded Compact 7 software. It will be powered by a Nvidia Tegra processor with other information about the 10 inch tablet pointing to an ultra-slim device that’s just 12.2-millimeters thick and weighs 675 grams. Also as per company sources, price for the 10 in tablet has been pegged at about $399 to $449 though no price details have been disclosed for the 12 inch tablet.
Unfortunately, both the tablet devices were unable to impress with their performance though they have the build quality of the highest order. In fact, they look stunning, what with those matte back covers and aluminum edges. However, the touchscreen isn’t responding as fast as is expected and is no where near the iPad in its response time. In fact, the EP121 wasn’t booting at all while the EP101TC’s interface still has a lot of bugs that mars the otherwise feel good factor with these tablets. So there’s quite some work for Asus to do with these tablets before their formal launch which is slated to happen in the first quarter of 2011.
The Computex starts tomorrow and you’ll have all the news and events covered here. So watch out for all the latest Tablet or Slates news. Meanwhile, you’ll also be getting e-reader news as usual. So stay tuned to this place.
Also make sure you pick your copy of the Good E-Reader Magazine that is slated to hit stands on the 1st of June.
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With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.