In another show against Window’s ability to play a good game when it comes to the tablet arena, an iPad device which is slated to run a scaled down version of windows called Embedded Compact 7 will be available on the streets with an Android operating system installed in it instead. The 3G Eee pad tablet computer is work from Asus. Officials from the German based site Netbook News headed over to Asus Headquarters and were given the details.
The launch date.
The Eee pad, which was previously scheduled to use Windows CE, later dropped this idea and it was all in favor of Android operating system. It will now be available for launch. Nothing much has been said when it comes to launch dates; we can only rely on speculations and rumors. We are looking at most probably, the beginning of next year. Taking a general perspective of the market, the Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) should be ready for the market. On the part of the 3G, Asus will be handing off testing units to Telcos in December. Therefore, if all goes according to plan, a Q1 Eee pad looks good.
Windows 7’s status
Going back to the Windows 7, not much light has been shed on its viability. The heavy-duty Operating system, stammered on the low-power atom CPU that was inside the Viliv S10 Blade convertible tablet, and there are high doubts whether the Windows 7 can ever thrive on the small, plucky, CPUs of full touch tablets that are similar in size and functionality to the iPad. Asus have since seconded the doubts. This was by announcing that it will release the EP101TC with the slate-friendly Android, an operating system that runs serviceably on the 5-inch Dell streak smartphone that was just reviewed as well as other tablets that include the likes of the Archo 7 Home Tablet and the Touchscreen side of the Entourage edge e-reader that is also a tablet.
Android gains popularity
According to analysis, Android is likely to be an OS of choice for many of the tablet makers, i.e. apart from HP with it’s newly acquired webOS and of course, there is Apple.
It is designed for mobile devices, its free and most of all; it does not have to fight against an incumbent Windows market. One problem with Linux Netbook was the lack of familiarity. Any person buying cheap computes was going for Windows. This problem has not been seen with Android so, still, Android might end up becoming the next Windows.
A choice of Androids
The question of whether the EP101TC will be shipping with Android 2.2 (Froyo), or better still, the Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) still lingers. There are no details from any source yet as to which of this will be sailing with the Asus Eee. But according to Netbooknews.com, reports say that the shipping date is one that will remain the same: in the first quarter of 2011. Back in May when there was a review of the EP101TC in Computex, it was slated to cost slightly under $500. Now that it is expected to run the Android software, consumers and analysts expect the price point drop down a bit.
