Asus Challenges iPad with Win7 Eee Tablet PC at Computex

Less than two weeks after Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced it would not be using Windows 7 on its upcoming Slate tablet PC, hardware producer Asus says they're willing to step up to the plate and offer their Eee Pad (tablet PC) hosting Windows 7.

HP announced early last week that it would not use Windows 7 due to underwhelming touchscreen capabilities. HP says it will instead go with the webOS (operating system) when Slate ships this October.

Asus Eee Pad Boasts 12" Screen, 10-Hour Battery, Win7

Stepping in to defend Windows 7's compatibility with tablet computers is Asus, who recently debuted their own sleek device running the popular OS and boasting a 10-hour battery life. The announcement came at Computex 2010 in Taiwan.

Asus' 12" device, called the Eee Pad EP121, uses a CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) Intel Core 2 Duo processor and offers e-reader functionality. Its one big advantage over the Apple iPad may be its support for Adobe Flash, which could make its online web navigation a more enjoyable experience.

Asus boasts that the Win 7 Eee Pad will offer multitasking capabilities, video conferencing support and simultaneous processing of Microsoft Office programs Word and Excel.

For those looking for something smaller, Asus also unveiled the 10" EP101TC, which runs Windows Embedded Compact. (Source: slipperybrick.com)

The 10-inch Eee Pad will reportedly sell for $399 to $449 US. No price tag was given for the 12-inch model. In contrast, the Apple iPads cost range is between $499 to $699 depending on storage capacity. (Source: theglobeandmail.com)

Tablet Demo 'Buggy' at Computex Show

All of this sounds great until one tunes into reports from the conference itself: according to Engadget reporter Joanna Stern, the Eee Pads were "just not working" effectively when shown off by Asus at the Computex show.

"The EP121 wasn't booting at all, but it was being shown off with a super sleek keyboard docking station, which will be used to turn the tablet into an ultraportable laptop of sorts," Stern said. "Nvidia Tegra-powered EP101TC was powering on, but its Windows Embedded Compact 7-based interface was still noticeably buggy, and the touchscreen quite unresponsive." (Source: tgdaily.com)