Asus Eee Pad Announced

[barkomatic]

It looks like Asus is going to join the fray. The specs sound good, but its windows 7 on a tablet. Nevertheless, I think some may buy it so they can parade it in front of iPad users saying "see it runs flash!! ha ha"

I thought one of the chairman's comments was funny and a bit dated:

"We envision a different kind of usage scenario," Shih said. "You can be both a premier professional and a housewife."

Wow, good thing those housewives have something simple to use! They certainly can't handle computers here in 1962 now can they?

Link:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2364354,00.asp

 

[limesmoothie]

I just spat coffee all over my iPad. Wait, I can be a professional and a housewife? Why, thank you, Mr Asus Corp. That's a sale you won't be getting. I am now instigating a solo boycott of your products, like the one which forced Dell to it's knees (cough) after the 'della' website debacle. Tell me, are you going to make a pretty pink tablet for me to look up recipes and use social networking sites?

 

[ri0ku]

It will not sell well.

Reason ?


It has a full desktop OS on it. I dont understand how any company thinks this is a good idea. Touch on a desktop os is just crap...

Tablets will only work if you create a custom multi touch OS for them, otherwise they will fail.

Lets face it that tablet has windows 7 on it right? and i read some of the comments under the info and some say things like "Finaly a tablet that lets me do some creative stuff"

Well... lets see... to use photoshop you'd need a mouse and possibly a keyboard

That requires lugging those 2 items with you everywhere you take your tablet...(I doubt the specs are capable enough to run photoshop without hicups anyway)

BTW im just using photoshop as an example

Carrying a keyboard and mouse around with you means you need to be at a desk... the tablet needs to be stood up.. meaning it will have some crapped mechanical arm thing like an old photo frame to keep it up right (Yuck)

iPad works because we dont need to do any of the above.. and as for creative stuff I have seen some threads on these forums are people posting there sketches made on the iPad and that stuff is nothing more than AWESOME! especialy since the iPad doesnt have pressure sensetive screen.

If people can make stuff like that on the iPad thats only been out a short while I await for more amazing apps to let people create stuff like that.

Another thing... PC software moves quickly.. but... when it moves and expands it requires so much power.. you need faster computers to run the stuff.. as I see it a tablet that runs PC software runs old or slow netbook specs ... onboard intel graphics...intel atom processors...

Those really arnt capable of doing much more than browsing the net and watching some vids.... (which is what they were designed for granted...)

iPad wins... for now.

I think android will catch up quickly though

 

[kkat69]

"We envision a different kind of usage scenario," Shih said. "You can be both a premier professional and a housewife."

Yah, that is sort of a bigot statement. I for one know a few housewives that write software in their spare time. Then again, I also know a few guys that play the role of what was once called a "housewife" that are just out of work IT professionals and roles were just reversed and it works for them.

What a way to call a group of people dumb there Asus.

 

[eneisch]

Engadget had a hands on with it on their sitre over the weekend. They found the tablets to be unresposive and slow. They say that the final release could be better though....

 

[costabunny]

It would make a nice 'pet' for my mac... Wonder what it will be like with good linux distro on it (tho I cannot think of anything Id want it for that I could not do on the iPad), I mean there are apps Id like to use mobile but they are not suited to little touchyfeely platforms.

interesting tho

Guess I could put Ubuntu on it with an LCARS theme and do the 'trekkie' thing...... (which was pretty much the only fun I ever had with my iPaq)

 

[barkomatic]

I just spat coffee all over my iPad. Wait, I can be a professional and a housewife? Why, thank you, Mr Asus Corp. That's a sale you won't be getting. I am now instigating a solo boycott of your products, like the one which forced Dell to it's knees (cough) after the 'della' website debacle. Tell me, are you going to make a pretty pink tablet for me to look up recipes and use social networking sites?

Agreed. It's hard to believe that someone so out of touch with their intended customers could possibly create a successful product.

 

[emptyCup]

It looks like Asus is going to join the fray. The specs sound good, but its windows 7 on a tablet. Nevertheless, I think some may buy it so they can parade it in front of iPad users saying "see it runs flash!! ha ha"

It fulfills all the requirements for an iPad killer:

1. Looks like an iPad.
2. Better specs than an iPad.
3. Doesn't actually exist.

If they can actually get Flash and a 10 hour battery life together in a light-weight device that would be an accomplishment. So far nobody else has done it. Many are dropping W7 for Android, but they haven't done it yet either.

 

[One Love 1867]

It has a full desktop OS on it. I dont understand how any company thinks this is a good idea.

People keep asking for it. Despite the fact that tablet computers have existed for years with desktop OS' on (you can go out and buy one right now if you're that way inclined), Apples critics continue to obsess over this idea that a mobile OS hinders the experience and a full desktop OS is necessary for a tablet to work.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Eee Pad is a terrible name too. They can't even copy good.

 

[Jaro65]

I think android will catch up quickly though

And it will be interesting to see what they come up with. Android and potential WebOS devices could become true competitors for iPad. As much as I like the compatibility with MS Office suite, I doubt that Win 7-based touchscreen tablet devices are going to be hugely popular.

 

[dojoman]

Apparently Asus hasn't learned from HP yet. yeah cram that bloated Windows 7 into the tablet form and you're done. No innovation, nothing.

 

[cyberheater]

It would be good as a tablet hackintosh.

 

[cathyy]

It's actually running Windows 7 Embedded Compact, apparently a Windows 7 version designed specifically for smaller devices. Despite the fact that it Engadget said it was a bit buggy and unresponsive, the had good comments about it too.

The UI certainly looked attractive enough, and our swipe motions across the capacitive touchscreen were handled admirably,

It looks pretty damn sexy too. Not only that, it's got a bigger screen, better processor and is also lighter than the iPad.

Yet, what might be even more important to consumers is the fact that its flagship EP121 12-inch tablet is actually thinner, lighter and faster than the Apple iPad. It is 12.2mm thick, weighs 1.48 pounds (675g) and is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo CULV processor (either an SU7xxx series or SU9xxx series chip at 1.3GHz or above). In contrast, the iPad is 12.7mm thick, weighs 1.6 pounds (726g) and is powered by an ARM-based Apple A4 1GHz custom SoC design.

Looks like a really great product actually. I might consider getting one if they are able to make the touch features better before launch. Better than getting an oversized iPod Touch.

 

[sracer]

It's actually running Windows 7 Embedded Compact, apparently a Windows 7 version designed specifically for smaller devices. Despite the fact that it Engadget said it was a bit buggy and unresponsive, the had good comments about it too.



It looks pretty damn sexy too. Not only that, it's got a bigger screen, better processor and is also lighter than the iPad.

Looks like a really great product actually. I might consider getting one if they are able to make the touch features better before launch. Better than getting an oversized iPod Touch.

CGI prototypes are easy to do. Manufacturing a device that lives up to the prototype... not so easy.

You can dismiss the iPad as JUST an oversized iPod Touch, but the fact that companies had to scrap their tablet plans when the iPad was released, and there is no viable alternative to the iPad on the horizon is an indication that it isn't so easy.

 

[iserian]

10 would be great - 5 to 7 would be good.

It fulfills all the requirements for an iPad killer:

1. Looks like an iPad.
2. Better specs than an iPad.
3. Doesn't actually exist.

If they can actually get Flash and a 10 hour battery life together in a light-weight device that would be an accomplishment. So far nobody else has done it. Many are dropping W7 for Android, but they haven't done it yet either.

 

[NT1440]

It looks pretty damn sexy too. Not only that, it's got a bigger screen, better processor and is also lighter than the iPad.

Can you really compare processors apples to apples when they are running two entirely different classes of OS? I just really doubt this thing is going to as zippy as the iPad when running a version of 7.

 

[spammerhamster]

It's actually running Windows 7 Embedded Compact, apparently a Windows 7 version designed specifically for smaller devices. Despite the fact that it Engadget said it was a bit buggy and unresponsive, the had good comments about it too.



It looks pretty damn sexy too. Not only that, it's got a bigger screen, better processor and is also lighter than the iPad.

Looks like a really great product actually. I might consider getting one if they are able to make the touch features better before launch. Better than getting an oversized iPod Touch.

The ipad wifi is 680gram.

Nevertheless, if we're just talking about specs. Isn't the SoC the secret of ipad's longevity? It probably has builtin hardware videodecoders, probably some 3d accelerators and an OS which is built to work with these hardware.

That's prob the reason why 3D and video hardly makes leaves a scratch on the ipad's battery life. A windows system on the other hand...

They better make really good drivers and encoders if they want to get 10h on day2day usage.

Nothing mentioned about standby time and boottime too.

 

[jecastejon]

It could be an option for artist, not so good for light use

I am a graphic artist and a while ago a tablet like this would had been very tempting. I managed to use my Wacom with my Mac Book and is possible but drawing on a tablet would be more suitable. Wacom already has some very good and expensive models so if well done this Asus tablet could be a nice option. Also I model in 3D and it could be very good for light 3D modeling if someone implements a good interface. Don't consider me crazy because I already bought a 3D modeling app for my iPod touch.

Besides this drawing, sketching or light 3D use for me this tablet does not offers that much for portable entertainment because it is not that portable it wont last that much and is 2 times heavier than the iPad. It is more a light, modern laptop but I think it is not a direct iPad competitor.

 

[ArmCortexA8]

It looks like Asus is going to join the fray. The specs sound good, but its windows 7 on a tablet. Nevertheless, I think some may buy it so they can parade it in front of iPad users saying "see it runs flash!! ha ha" I thought one of the chairman's comments was funny and a bit dated:"We envision a different kind of usage scenario," Shih said. "You can be both a premier professional and a housewife."

Wow, good thing those housewives have something simple to use! They certainly can't handle computers here in 1962 now can they?

Link:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2364354,00.asp

No doubt this ASUS inspiration for a tablet device was devised when info about the iPad was coming out. Apple invent / create the but the rest just try to copy and implementation is usually the issue. The fact is the iPad release has forced big companies to put their variants on the back burner.

 

[likegadgets]

I have an iPad and love it. However, in our business we need an App for customers to enter different kind of data that makes a Pad like device ideal.

We plan to develop the App and give our customers the tablets to use, about 150 of these.

However, we are not willing to be subjected to Apple's delivery system via iTunes App store. Therefore we will only implement on an Android or Windows based tablet that will allow us to install and update without needing Apples permission and blessing.

 

[DifferentialApp]

It looks pretty neat! I doubt it will be an iPad killer, though. There have been many attempts to knock down the iPhone by HTC, but all have failed. Maybe this one will be the one to kill an Apple product.

 

[Peace]

Apple should do what all these other companies do.

Announce a product to be released in a year.

 

[lilo777]

Eee Pad is a terrible name too. They can't even copy good.

Yeah, it's bad but not as bad as "I pad".

CGI prototypes are easy to do. Manufacturing a device that lives up to the prototype... not so easy.

These are not CGI creatures. Engadget actually has a review of the prototypes. So they do exist but not in the production shape yet.

The ipad wifi is 680gram.

Nevertheless, if we're just talking about specs. Isn't the SoC the secret of ipad's longevity?

Many of the latest Intel's Atom chips are SOC chips too so Apple does not have any advantage there. Most likely it's actually in disadvantage trying to compete with Intel chips in tablet domain. Apple already tried this once and we all know how this ended up. Mobile phones is a different story though.

 

[sracer]

These are not CGI creatures. Engadget actually has a review of the prototypes. So they do exist but not in the production shape yet.

Sorry, I should've been more explicit. There are a few promo shots that ARE CGI prototypes. (one of them posted here) In the video that you linked, the reporter said that the 12" is a non-functioning mock-up. Then there is a 10" at she says at 0:32 that it isn't really functioning. At 1:10 they show a video of a browser at which time she says, "but look how fast it is if it did work".

We've been here before with the JooJoo, HP Slate, and the MS Courier. The fact that Asus (which I have a lot of respect for... love their EeePC netbooks) felt the need to cobble together this dummied up prototype and having to resort to playing video of what it would function like is an indication that they feel that they are behind where they should be.

Any comparison between the iPad and any device that is NOT currently shipping is nothing more than wishful thinking. If Asus actually ships these things THEN we can compare and contrast.