14 DAY TRIAL // Even though media tablets have become seemingly split between Intel's Atom CPUs and the ARM architecture, there are models that skim on the edges of exception, like a certain ASUS Eee Pad.
Saying that many tablets will be on display at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show would, at this point, be an understatement.
Most every maker of PCs and even some suppliers of consumer electronics have expressed their intention to grab a slice of this emerging market.
Surely no one will be astonished to hear that ASUS is one of said companies, though its plans may be a bit more unusual that those of its rivals.
Granted, the outfit does intend to bring out the 'regular' batch of 10-inch and/or 7-inch models, with Android or Windows, but that is not all.
What ASUS plans to use in order to rise above all the rest is a slate that is both larger and more powerful than all the others.
The product in question carries the Eee Pad EP121 name and has display size of 12 inches, plus a configuration centered around an Intel Core i5 central processing unit.
The rest of the hardware was not revealed (mostly) but it is easy to assume that the overall performance may end up on par with that of a notebook.
There was only mention of USB connectivity, a card reader, a camera and an HDMI video output, all of them unsurprising considering that most other slates have them as well.
Regardless, those seeking to learn more about this particular tablet will just have to keep their eyes and ears peeled once CES 2011 kick off in early January.
Meanwhile, a teaser video will give onlookers an idea of what they can risk expecting, though it is still unclear how the Eee Pad will face off against devices from opposing companies.