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ASUS just wrapped up their CES press conference, one that was full of some pretty innovative Android tablets. One thing is for certain, the hardware manufacturer means business with a lineup that should cover just about everyone. Here is a quick run down of what you can expect from their Android options coming out over the first half of 2011.
ASUS Eee Pad MeMO
- 7-inch screen capacitive touchscreen with stylus
- Android 3.0
- 1080p video playback and HDMI out
- Available June ranging from $499 to $699
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer
- 10.1-inch IPS wide format capacitive touchscreen
- Android 3.0
- NVIDIA Tegra 2 Processor
- Removable keyboard dock
- Available April ranging from $399 to $699
ASUS Eee Pad Slider
- 10.1-inch IPS wide format capacitive touchscreen
- Android 3.0
- 1.2MP front-facing camera and 5MP rear camera
- Available May ranging from $699 to $799
Here is the full press release:
ASUS Tablet Computers — Providing Choice through Innovation at CES 2011
Chairman Jonney Shih unveils a new range of innovative tablet computers that provide a wide selection of choices for consumers and businesses alike
Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, NA (January 4, 2011) — ASUS today announced four new tablet computers designed for a wide range of users and applications — The Eee Pad Slider, Eee Pad Transformer, Eee Pad MeMO and Eee Slate EP121. The new models are available with three screen sizes, and a choice of either Windows® 7 Home Premium or Android® operating systems for the ultimate in mobile flexibility and productivity.
Choice is essential when selecting innovative and technologically advanced personal computer devices. When it comes to tablets, there is a clear need for devices than can deliver a full multimedia experience with HD video, broad connectivity options and even gaming plus the broadest range of media compatibility with standards like Adobe Flash, all in a compact device. In short, there is demand for tablets that enable users to both consume and create content with a choice of applications whether it is for learning, work or play. This is what the new ASUS Eee Pad and Eee Slate computer range showcased at CES 2011 delivers, choice through innovation.
ASUS Eee Pad Slider
Mobile users who want the best of both tablet and traditional notebook worlds will be well served by the Eee Pad Slider. This pad computer not only features a 10.1” IPS touch-screen for finger-friendly use, but also a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, use-anywhere typing. It is powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2, the world’s most advanced mobile processor with a dual-core CPU and NVIDIA® GeForce® GPU for never-before-seen experiences on a mobile device.Built-in digital cameras on the front (1.2-megapixel) and rear (5-megapixel) of the Slider allow for easy video chat and digital photography while the Android® 3.0 operating system makes sharing photos by internet, email and social media sites a breeze. The intuitive interface provides user-friendly control via the capacitive touch-screen and optional onboard 3G allows for go-anywhere internet access, making the Slider the ideal device for mobile professionals with work-oriented needs.
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer
With a slim lightweight design and 10.1” IPS touch-screen, the versatile Eee Pad Transformer is the perfect pad computer for people who want to enjoy multimedia on the move, but still wish to have easy access to the web, email and other productivity applications. A custom user interface provides easy access to the many features of the Android® 3.0 operating system, while the NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 processor provides full support for Adobe Flash, smooth HD video conferencing and playback, a lightning fast web experience and incredible mobile gaming performance.An optional docking station turns the Transformer into a full-fledged notebook with a full QWERTY keyboard for desktop use, while extending battery life up to 16 hours. As with the Slider, front (1.2-megapixel) and rear (5-megapixel) digital cameras make for easy video chat and digital photography, while a built-in mini-HDMI port makes for easy connections to external displays showing off full 1080p HD video playback.
ASUS Eee Pad MeMO
The Eee Pad MeMO provides the ultimate in mobile flexibility. Its 7” capacitive touch-screen makes it small enough to slip into a jacket pocket, yet still perfect for taking handwritten notes using the supplied stylus pen. The Android® 3.0 operating system offers a wide range of productivity and entertainment software, while a mini-HDMI port means the MeMO can even connect to an external display for full 1080p HD video playback.ASUS Eee Slate EP121
The Eee Slate EP121 is designed for users who require a highly portable handheld device that can also run standard office software while multitasking with other applications. Powered with an Intel® Core™ i5 dual-core processor, the Eee Slate PC features a 12.1” LED-backlit display with a 1280 x 800 resolution and a wide 178° viewing angle, making it perfectly suited for both productivity applications and multimedia entertainment.Windows® 7 Home Premium ensures full compatibility with a wide range of popular applications controlled by flexible input options thanks to the Eee Slate EP121. The capacitive touch-screen responds instantly to fingertip control for day-to-day use, while the capacitive stylus offers fine precision input and control. An on-screen keyboard is also complimented by support for an external Bluetooth keyboard for traditional desktop use.
The Eee Slate EP121 is available with 32GB or 64GB of SSD storage (expandable via SDXC), and up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM. All models have 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, a 2-megapixel camera, plus two USB 2.0 ports that provide full support for a wide range of standard PC peripherals, along with a mini-HDMI port that is ideal for connecting to external displays.
ASUS is excited to announce that the ASUS Eee Slate EP121 is one of their eight products to be selected for a CES 2011 Innovations Award.
ASUS at CES 2011
For ASUS’ complete CES product lineup, please visit us between 9:30AM and 6:00PM at The Venetian, San Polo Ballroom – 3501A from January 6-8.
Please visit http://www.ces2011.asus.com for the latest ASUS CES announcements.
For more details about the products mentioned in this press release, please go to www.techinstyle.tv.###
About CES Innovations Awards
The Innovations, Design and Engineering Awards program, sponsored by PCWorld, recognizes the most innovative consumer electronics products in the industry’s leading categories, with a particular emphasis on forward-thinking innovation.
http://www.cesweb.org/awards/innovations/default.asp###
About ASUS
ASUS, the world’s top 3 consumer notebook vendor and the maker of the world’s bestselling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, displays, desktop PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia, wireless solutions, networking devices and mobile phones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3,398 awards in 2010, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than ten thousand people and a world-class R&D team of 3,000 engineers, the company’s revenue for 2010 was around US$10 billion.
Looks exciting. The transformer would what I would be after and the 399 starting price indicates wifi only version. YAY!
Now what are HTC Scribe and Motorola XOOM going to be like?
Nothing stands out to me other than Android 3.0
So far, the transformer is it as far as a tablet goes for me. (Although, I do like that i5 processor on the windows machine.)
Not quite sure why the Memo will be more expensive than the ones with the keyboards and the larger screens? Is it due to it Having the 1080p?
I don’t think any of the tablets are going to be mind blowing but something that is cheap, good and flexible is all I am asking for.
Well one thing is for sure. it appears another false rumor about high min. requirements. i’m still waiting to see what honeycomb will look like on phones. because if it can run on a snapdragon processor it opens up alot of possible mods for older phones.
Ouch! Talk about sticker shock.
For these prices I’ll stick with my full fledged CPU laptop.
I’m with Jeep on this one. Do these companies want to bury AppHole or what? Then lets stop pricing them like one..
The slider is from this idea.. watch 1:20
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkE2A-FiD54
more fragmented devices -_-
These would be even more awesome if they were dual boot, with android and windows 7.
@Your Mom, Its more expensive to make smaller devices, smaller powerful components cost more. The question should be…why arent the larger devices way more powerful?!?
I’m with Savage… I own 3 I3 laptops by Asus that were cheaper then those prices.
Are we all forgetting that Android is free? Why are we paying over the top prices for something that does little more then my $200 EVO.
I have been waiting awhile to jump into the Droid Tab craze but the more high prices I see coming out of CES the more I’m thinking about just going to the Ipad. The Galaxy Tab should have proved these prices are a mistake.
And yes they may have 1080 but so does my 56 inch Led. Hopefully Vizio does what they do best, offer a better product then the brand names at a lower price.
@Mark
I think the major cost addition comes from the screen and the Tegra 2 chip.
But remember that the phones are heavily subsidized by our carriers too. Otherwise we’d be paying close to $600 for them.
“More than meets the eye, Transfor….” Why does the one with the larger screen and optional keyboard cost the least? it looks the best
These will be up against iPad 2 not iPad 1. If Apple does like they do with the iPhone, the iPad 1 will probably drop to around $449 or $400.
From what I’m reading Andriod’s phone and tablet versions of the OS will remain separated, thus fragmented for now.
Looks like Apple will beat Android to the punch with tablets, unlike their slow move to Verizon with the iPhone. In any event, it looks like Verzion sold 500,000 to 1,000,000 iPhones in the first 18 hours of pre-sales, so it looks like Android’s market-share is about to decline in the USA.
I’m hoping to pick one up as soon as they go on sale. Found this review with Specs. that shows it having the NVIDIA Terga chip. Nice!
http://androidsr.us/2011/04/10/review-eee-pad-transformer-tf101/