Asus Eee Pad Announced

[HiRez]

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....

You can see how craptastic the software is in the video. Could they pull it all together before it ships? Sure? Will they? VERY doubtful. The software you see there is not close but with a few rough edges, it shows a very fundamental misunderstanding of what makes a good UI, they clearly don't "get it" yet. I'll believe they get 10 hours of battery when I see it, too.

This endless parade of janky junkware trying to mimitate the iPad is going to be fun to watch.

 

[Harmush]

It's just an ipad for people who don't know any better. People still use windows, and slate Mac off. The fact is they have only ever used windows, so they wouldn't know. And deep deep down they are just jelous of our virus free, problem free life.

The only people that will buy that rip off will be those stubborn windows gits that want an iPad but are to dignified to buy an apple product.

Don't panic, us apple people can just giggle at them smugly and know we have the upper hand really.

 

[NT1440]

Many of the latest Intel's Atom chips are SOC chips too so Apple does not have any advantage there. .

I'm sorry but that is the stupidest thing I've ever read. No one here knows the full internals of the A4 SoC so you can't really say there is an advantage one way or another. Just because two things are a SoC doesn't mean they are the same.

 

[PCsAreRubbish]

Have you seen the quility of the rubbish they turn out, also it's going to have windows which is basically crap and let's think about it what have Microsoft actually done in the last 20 years.... Windows blue screen of death, windows needs your permission?, windows has a virus and xbox aside not a lot else apple however just keep coming up with amazing stuff like the iPad, it may not be a full computer but it's a quality device well designed and well built and will out last any cheap bit of plastic junk made by asus and loaded with windows. Think of it like this can you see anyone queueing overnight to get one? I think not!!!

 

[NT1440]

Have you seen the quility of the rubbish they turn out, also it's going to have windows which is basically crap and let's think about it what have Microsoft actually done in the last 20 years.... Windows blue screen of death, windows needs your permission?, windows has a virus and xbox aside not a lot else apple however just keep coming up with amazing stuff like the iPad, it may not be a full computer but it's a quality device well designed and well built and will out last any cheap bit of plastic junk made by asus and loaded with windows. Think of it like this can you see anyone queueing overnight to get one? I think not!!!

Windows 7 is a very nice OS (if its your style), it just doesn't belong on hardware that can't run it well.

 

[EldoInTheWeeds]

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?

A boycott that forced Dell to its knees? Really? I never heard of the "Della" website so I looked it up. That sure goes in the "what were they thinking?" file. I also looked up their company performance. They profited US$9.26 Billion last year. Can you please boycott my company?

 

[Liquorpuki]

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

personally I think "triple E pad", or "EEEEE!!!! pad" is worse

whats the proper way to pronounce the name of this thing?

 

[bocomo]

personally I think "triple E pad", or "EEEEE!!!! pad" is worse

whats the proper way to pronounce the name of this thing?

yep, make me think, "eeek pad"

 

[ravenvii]

Windows 7 is a very nice OS (if its your style), it just doesn't belong on hardware that can't run it well.

This. While I still believe OS X is a better OS, the gap just isn't anywhere as wide as it used to be.

 

[Dillenger]

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

But you could attach a Wii to it and you would have a Wii Eee, but even then it would still be a TURD.

 

[einmusiker]

if the price is right I'm buying this to hold me over until the ipad is more than just a big ipod touch

 

[smiddlehurst]

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.

It gets worse, the eee Pad isn't due out until first quarter 2011 at which point the next gen iPad will probably only be a month or two away. And for some odd reason the 10" version runs Windows EC 7 while the 12" runs normal Windows 7... strange.

What I really don't get is this though: what are you going to run on these devices? The Windows 7 tablets are basically either netbooks or CULV laptops with the keyboards hacked off and a touchscreen. A small touchscreen. There is currently no market for apps tailored to that form factor. They cost the same as the equivalent laptop / netbook. So why would you buy one over said laptop? What benefit do you get from that touchscreen interface and is it worth the endless annoyances that'll result when you run into user interfaces that are built for mouse and keyboard? And is it worth putting up with loosing the instant-on performance of the iPad and, I assume, the upcoming wave of Android tablets?

WCE7 I can sort of get - Windows 7 components powering a tailored front end. Fair enough, especially if the battery life and performance is good once you strip away all the redundant processes you don't need. But... you're now starting from scratch in terms of apps in a market that will be well established by the time those devices roll out. More importantly, if MS aren't supplying a consistent interface and letting OEM's do the heavy lifting how do said apps work? Are they going to be manufacturer specific, will there be a single app store across all versions etc etc. Are these devices intended more as stand-alone appliances than anything else, simple units that just do a few things and that's that at a cheap price point?

I know MS have no choice but to hit the market with a lot of advertising and flash as they're late to the party and have very little that's really suitable for this rapidly emerging market but it just feels very very empty to me. It's the same old stratergy all over again and that's a shame as I'd really like to see what MS could manage if it tried something radical and new.

 

[alFR]

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.

http://developer.apple.com/programs/iphone/enterprise/

 

[kas23]

This needs Android. It will sell well, because it's likely going to sell for 1/2 the price of the iPad. That said, placing Android on it will make it sell way better. As it is now, with Windows 7, what apps would it use?

 

[bocomo]

It gets worse, the eee Pad isn't due out until first quarter 2011 at which point the next gen iPad will probably only be a month or two away. And for some odd reason the 10" version runs Windows EC 7 while the 12" runs normal Windows 7... strange.

What I really don't get is this though: what are you going to run on these devices? The Windows 7 tablets are basically either netbooks or CULV laptops with the keyboards hacked off and a touchscreen. A small touchscreen. There is currently no market for apps tailored to that form factor. They cost the same as the equivalent laptop / netbook. So why would you buy one over said laptop? What benefit do you get from that touchscreen interface and is it worth the endless annoyances that'll result when you run into user interfaces that are built for mouse and keyboard? And is it worth putting up with loosing the instant-on performance of the iPad and, I assume, the upcoming wave of Android tablets?

WCE7 I can sort of get - Windows 7 components powering a tailored front end. Fair enough, especially if the battery life and performance is good once you strip away all the redundant processes you don't need. But... you're now starting from scratch in terms of apps in a market that will be well established by the time those devices roll out. More importantly, if MS aren't supplying a consistent interface and letting OEM's do the heavy lifting how do said apps work? Are they going to be manufacturer specific, will there be a single app store across all versions etc etc. Are these devices intended more as stand-alone appliances than anything else, simple units that just do a few things and that's that at a cheap price point?

I know MS have no choice but to hit the market with a lot of advertising and flash as they're late to the party and have very little that's really suitable for this rapidly emerging market but it just feels very very empty to me. It's the same old stratergy all over again and that's a shame as I'd really like to see what MS could manage if it tried something radical and new.

two very good points--just what i was thinking

 

[rjenovai]

yawn. Let me know if/when it actually ships.

 

[limesmoothie]

A boycott that forced Dell to its knees? Really? I never heard of the "Della" website so I looked it up. That sure goes in the "what were they thinking?" file. I also looked up their company performance. They profited US$9.26 Billion last year. Can you please boycott my company?

Wow, that gag zoomed right over you, didn't it?

The Della thing was a shocker, though. I ensured that any IT spending I have any control over at work goes elsewhere. A small protest that I'm sure they will never notice but I will never spend a penny of my hard-earned cash with sexist fools and neither will my employer now.

 

[Scooterman1]

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?

Sounds like you NEED a pink one.


Just joking.... LOL

 

[kernkraft]

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's "seee, it runs Flash!"

 

[smiddlehurst]

It's "seee, it runs Flash!"

I thought it was: See, it runs FLA... hey, where'd my battery life go?

 

[Scooterman1]

I have a Compaq TC-1000 tablet. It will run circles around the iPad in the area of being a REAL computer. It runs real, and Full Applications.

The one place where Apple outperforms, is in that the iPad runs the very small Apps very fast. So, it's a trade-off. A real tablet computer, or a large iPod Touch......

And I'm serious, the TC-1000 was out a few years ago. It is a GREAT computer with the addition of an optional keyboard that folds up with the tablet.

Now, if Asus and Microsoft can get the performance speed up...... Apple could have real competition. http://www.tabletpctalk.com/pictures/compaq-tc1000.shtml

Now, where are the Android tablets?

 

[HiRez]

I have a Compaq TC-1000 tablet. It will run circles around the iPad in the area of being a REAL computer. It runs real, and Full Applications.

The one place where Apple outperforms, is in that the iPad runs the very small Apps very fast. So, it's a trade-off. A real tablet computer, or a large iPod Touch......

And I'm serious, the TC-1000 was out a few years ago. It is a GREAT computer with the addition of an optional keyboard that folds up with the tablet.

Now, if Asus and Microsoft can get the performance speed up...... Apple could have real competition. http://www.tabletpctalk.com/pictures/compaq-tc1000.shtml

Now, where are the Android tablets?

But that's just the problem. Not just "the one thing", the main thing. It's all about performance vs. usability. Anyone can build a computer that does everything, but they can't yet make such a computer very portable. That includes size, weight, battery life, heat generation/dissipation, and noise (fans?). Apple's the only one so far who's managed to get all those things right, with good performance and a high-quality screen. They couldn't have done it running a full OS X. Asus and Microsoft won't be able to do that anytime soon because it's not a matter of tweaking, they need a fundamentally re-designed OS built for portable devices, and they need hardware to run it on, which today means NOT Intel.

 

[diabolic]

But that's just the problem. Not just "the one thing", the main thing. It's all about performance vs. usability. Anyone can build a computer that does everything, but they can't yet make such a computer very portable. That includes size, weight, battery life, heat generation/dissipation, and noise (fans?). Apple's the only one so far who's managed to get all those things right, with good performance and a high-quality screen.

A lot of people seem to assume that any company can put together a tablet like the iPad, throw Android or Windows Mobile 7 on it, let it run Flash and have a filesystem, and it will instantly be better than the iPad and a huge success. I don't think it's going to be that easy.

 

[bocomo]

I have a Compaq TC-1000 tablet. It will run circles around the iPad in the area of being a REAL computer. It runs real, and Full Applications.

The one place where Apple outperforms, is in that the iPad runs the very small Apps very fast. So, it's a trade-off. A real tablet computer, or a large iPod Touch......

And I'm serious, the TC-1000 was out a few years ago. It is a GREAT computer with the addition of an optional keyboard that folds up with the tablet.

looks like a laptop with a more foldable screen

how much did it cost?

 

[richardhunt]

I still don't understand why the ipad detractors keep up with the argument of Full OS/Full Apps. I the ipad was not designed to be a "productivity tool", it is a consumption tool and it does that very well. If you want to run your apps, the ipad is not for you, but it doesn't mean that it isn't any good. Anything running CULV core processors will inevitably use more power to run. The big advantage of using an ARM SOC is the battery life is amazing. Intel has some x86 SOC's on the way and it will be interesting to see what comes out of it. I would love to have an OS that can run my windows apps natively on an Ipad form factor, but the truth of the matter is that those apps were not designed with a multi-touch interface in mind, so it will be awkward at best to use it. And if you are going to be carrying a Keyboard/mouse with your pad, then why not just get a Notebook based on a CULV Core processor (or soon Core i processor). Lenovo has a good idea on the notebook with the removable screen that turns into a tablet (dubbed the skylight). They were going to put their own version of Linux on it, but have pulled it in favor of using Android. Now it's delayed with no release timeframe. But who knows what the cost is. What I would love to see is an ipad case with a built-in ultra-thin keyboard, that would be a good accessory to have.