14 DAY TRIAL // Though PC makers have been doing their best to finalize their first batch of tablets as soon as possible, most are already looking ahead and preparing for the future. ASUS, for instance, is working on a slate that won't debut until next year. Said tablet goes by the name of Eee Pad EP101TC and was supposed to end up pre-loaded with the Microsoft Windows 7 Embedded Compact operating system. These plans appear to have changed, however, at least according to a report made by Netbook News.
Apparently, Microsoft's solution is not as appealing as the one Google has in mind. The Android 3.0 open source software promises a much wider functionality than its previous versions and is quite power efficient as well. ASUS decided it would switch over to this OS and hopes to finalize development of the tablet by the start of next year.
No doubt end-users have already surmised that the company intends to take advantage of the excellent advertising potential of the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2011). Sure enough, ASUS hopes to turn many heads with this open source OS-based slate. Unfortunately, it is hard to say what other assets it seeks to exploit, since actual details on the specifications are quite scarce, if at all available. All that is known is that the Eee Pad EP101TC boasts a 10-inch touchscreen, a thickness of 12.2 mm and a weight of 675 grams. Nothing has been hinted at as far as internal chips and parts go.
Netbook News claims that current prototypes employ the Android 2.2 Froyo versions of Google's platform for testing purposes. Carriers will get their first sample shipments in December, which makes it plain that 3G connectivity will be available. What is left is for January to arrive and shed light upon the rest of the feature set.