By ASUS will supposedly be dumping Windows 7 for their Eee Pad (EP101TC) tablet for Android. The device sports a 10-inch touchscreen and was first spotted at the Computex Wireless show several weeks ago. Then, it was running Microsoft’s (admittedly polished) OS, but ASUS probably saw something in Android 3.0 – the version they’re hoping to ship this with – that helped change their minds.
The prototype being worked on right now is said to be running Android 2.2 according to German site NetbookNews, but that’s just a placeholder until Android 3.0 nears RC status.
[via Android Community]
Want…
Asus will now face the wrath of microsoft. Microsoft will dramatically raise the price of OEM license for windows 7 lol
Asus will now face the wrath of microsoft. Microsoft will dramatically raise the price of OEM license for windows 7 lol
When I think of a pad, I either think of a frog or a feminine product. Please do not name these things pads. IMHO, naming it the EE Tablet sounds a lot better. And you won’t copy Apple while doing it.
Finally a tablet that looks worth buying. 2.2 and going to 3.0 as well!
Windows and polished don’t belong anywhere close to each other lol. But honestly MS has an issue to deal with. They are no longer in control of the hardware industry like they used to be. It keeps shifting from under them and they can’t keep up. First it was netbooks that helped bring about a leaner Windows 7. Now its tablets and again Windows 7 is too fat and the interface doesn’t work as well for touch. They just aren’t agile enough where other companies have learned to be agile on top of Linux and move with the hardware market quickly.
this … now THIS … is what I’ve been waiting for. Hurry up ASUS!
This is fantastic. Windows 7 simply wouldn’t run well on a tablet – Windows works well with a touchscreen, but without a keyboard and mouse (which it was designed for), I’m afraid it isn’t great.
Smartphone OSs like WebOS and Android are built specifically for touch, and it’s great to hear that companies are ditching Windows for these on their tablets.
Always said it needed Android.
WHOOOOOOO! You will see why, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VlQM95MD_I there you go!
asus just made a mistake by using win7 i guess
hey Phil,
Microsoft is in complete control of business. make no mistake these little tablets and phones mean nothing to fortune 500 companies running Windows XP, 7, Server 2003 and 2008. i am at one and there are license agreements w/ Microsoft in place that will last until my kids are retired.
Has anyone even seen 3.0? Is google showing it to developers?
YES!!!!!!!
I was gonna get it to begin with and remove W7 and install Fedora. This saves me the trouble of dumping Windows.
I’ll just keep Android running on it n be good.
dman977, they cant name this Eee Tablet. They already have an Eee Tablet coming out aswell as their “Pad”
What’s wrong with “Pad” anyways? Never owned a Note-Pad before? ;)
This seems like no surprise to me. Where is Microsoft and what happened to them? They seem to be losing ground in almost every area of business they are a part of. However, I’m not too concerned, as I would rather have an Android tablet anyway, but choices drive innovation, and innovation is always nice. Oh, and I really want an Android tablet too. This one looks amazing; I hope the price will be comparable with their netbooks or even lower.
@s4mb4 go find a real fortune 500, see how many non-windows boxes there are in the server room. They are being pushed out in server land and now at the user too.
as i recall, lenovo made the “Think Pad” and Leapfrog made the “Quantum Pad Learning System” long before turtleneck thought up the ipad.
I want to get my dad one of these!
@s4mb4, you’re singing the same song DEC sang at the beginning of the age the PC.
Totally worthless if it does not support RF and IR. Me needs a nice Android Table to run everything in my house….home theater included.
finally!!!
arg, i need to start playing the lotto. im torn between this beauty, a slingbox and an hdtv
Wow, I hope this arrives soon. I am just beginning to write Android Apps and I have a killer app in mind for the auto enthusiasts. Having this in the car would be so awesome. If I could tether my google phone to do navigation and other OBD functions at the same time, that would be so cool.
s4mb4 that will change with the Cisco android tablets
looks good.
It wasn’t Windows 7 or Windows Phone 7 that was planned to be on it. It was Windows Compact Embedded, which was what they were saying was polished.
“but ASUS probably saw something in Android 3.0 – the version they’re hoping to ship this with – that helped change their minds.”
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In other news, Google acquired Bumptop in April…
Actually “pad” for a handheld electronic device was used in science fiction (e.g., “newspad”) long before it became a name used in reality by ANY manufacturer. So “turtleneck” (love that; but should it be iTurtleneck?) didn’t invent it, much as he’d like to think.
google seems to be more interested in chrome OS for tablets, lets see how it pans out.
Sorry DroidDev, When I saw this at Computex I didn’t see any IR or RF. I thought the same thing. XD
Ivan, Actually it was runing Windows Embedded Compact 7 ;)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/05/asus-eee-padcomputex-20103680.jpg
I know what Asus saw in Android 3.0……. a free license.
When I think of pad I think maxi pad….
Get your ASUS EEE MaxiPad this holiday season!
In all seriousness though… android ftw.
Android ftw!
BTW about using the name pad…
as mentioned before, small rectangular devices used to manipulated data have been called “pad” long before the whole recent iPad hoopla. For instance, the funny yellow things with blue lines on them.
And, let’s not forget in SciFi:
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Padd
Wonder if Starfleet uses Android (the OS, we know they use at least one Android officer), and what version it would get to by 23rd/24th century? :)
Windows 7 does not work well as a touch-based OS. The interface isn’t designed like iOS or Android around the principles of touch-only, so it isn’t optimized for it. This is fantastic news because a Win7 tablet would have been an overpriced disaster. I’m sure they will eventually release another model with it on there though.