Eee Pad to Challenge iPad?

AsusTek is one of those companies that does not hold back even when going against the giants in the computer industry. Apple iPad has already generated a whole lot of buzz and is expected to be one formidable tablet to beat. That does not mean that Asus won’t be trying. Asus already has tablet netbooks that can give you the best of both worlds. But the company is working on at least two tablet PCs to challenge the iPad head on. Jonney Shih, chairman of Asus, put it best:

Netbooks are the best combination of personal computing and cloud computing… But between netbooks and smartphones and e-readers, we think there will be a space for something like a tablet or slate PC

While we don’t agree with the general “best computing experience” assessment, there is going to be a market for iPad like tablets. And that’s exactly what AsusTek will be going for. One of these models is expected to come with Chrome OS and run other Google software. A prototype of such a device was presented at CES earlier this year, and the final product should not be too dramatically different (feature-wise).

Can Asus Eee Pad hold up its own against the iPad? That remains to be seen. Pricing and computing power does come into play. Eee Pad won’t have all the apps that the iPad will be taking advantage of. So it’s essential for AsusTek to compensate for that somehow. Will the company price its Eee Pad close or above the iPad? That’s something we will have to wait and see.