Android Eee Pad to debut in June, could ship as early as July
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted April 23rd 2010 1:37PM
posted April 23rd 2010 1:37PM
posted April 23rd 2010 1:37PM
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Is it enough to say 'want'?
@AppleDrank
Asus is focusing on the software side of things...
"Chen also noted that there was a strong emphasis on the device's user interface."
http://www.techspot.com/news/37751-asus-confirms-eee-pad-will-pack-arm-cpu-and-3g.html
On the hardware side of things it is expected to be a Tegra 2 device and not netbook innards... (though they say there will be an Atom powered one eventually)...
@fischju : when i saw $15,000-16,000.... I was like, WTF? :)
@AppleDrank "You need software written specifically for this to make any sense. the crap that these Nettablets have on them are just for stupid games and crap."
Android? Have you seen the growth that OS has made?
@sicem If it has more power and capabilities and runs Android for the same price as an iPad I think Apple will have a real fight on their hands!
@One Love Lay off the weed man.
@crichton007 Not the same price, there is a subsidy in there and you have to factor that price in there and the data plan pricing is still in the air. However, if the subsidy is in the $150 range (approx same price as the iPad 3G upgrade) then we are talking a little more even, especially if it's only a 1 year contract (also, IMHO you shouldn't buy this device with a 2 year contract, too much of a commitment for an early adoption in this segment. Really, the data plan was a major highlight of how Apple did the iPad right.)
@crichton007
A lot of things have more power and are cheaper and apple still does better, i dono how apple does it but they do it well, i have an ipad and i love it
@Zeroexe43
I pad is simply a MID it shouldn't be called a tablet PC or a UMPC. It is a media consumption device for entertainment. Like an iTouch or P7 from iRiver etc etc. Viliv is making more capable machines as well as ASUS and MSI that are sort of like a tablet netbook- in between a real PC and a MID. They shouldn't be compared because you will actually be able to use these in meetings or on the road to Skype and even do work. Its for more than just entertainment. Apple is not the 1st they just made a bigger screen. Lets see how fast the Tegra II is.
Better be good...
@bob e
I was under the impression that Android isn't very good for music/movies. Is this true? It seems like that would be a killer for a slate-type device where a big part of what you do is content consumption.
@Delta Sounds like a fair question, and I think games are even underpowered (or at least under-served as perhaps they are just bad ports from the iPhone and/or flash). The music is news to me, well both movies and music, but the music surprises me more. So in reference to the non-audio media, is this partially, or completely, due to lack lack of graphics processing power? Between reading flash and the rumors of this having Tegra we will see if this is an OS or hardware issue.
On the games/graphics issue, another way to find out sooner will be to see how movies and games run on Samsung's hummingbird inside the Galaxy S and to see what the HTC Evo can do on both the handset and with it's HDMI-out. Either way, I wait all 3 with optimistic anticipation (the tablet actually being the bottom of the 3).
Read the last sentence.. "after wireless provider subsidies are taken into effect, the thing should cost around $15,000-16,000 TD (or about $480-510)."
$500 for a subsidized Android Tablet? FAIL!
@HDD
"If you see a subsidy...they blew it"
Not just mocking Jobs, it's actually kind of true here...
@HDD Actually that would end up being about the same cost as an iPad with a 3g card if you purchased this unsubsidized.
@djt
I guess that two-year contract really appeals to some people. The other poster was right, if they price this at $500 and require a contract - massive fail.
@HDD
What have fail? The product or your reasoning? If we assume it's similar to a 16Gb Ipad, it's a hundred odd dollars off retail price, if it's 64Gb, that's a whole three hundred worth of savings, and comes with a webcam.
Is that contract worth 100++ or 300++, I don't know, no specification is given. How did you conclude it's disadvantage in terms of price? If you have additional specification about it, please share.
@heliosys
Simple Fail.
Contract = 2 years. Do you think Asus will get a deal on telco pricing like Apple? No, they simply don't have the clout. $50 a month data plan X24 months = $1200 plus $500 (price of tablet) = $1700 .... vs. $500 iPad. Even if they can get5 $30 a month data, it is still twice the price of a wifi iPad.
It should be at most $300 w/ WiFI only to even compete.
@HDD
Your reply strengthen my argument of your failed reasoning. This is a 3G product, yet you are comparing with an entry level wifi only Ipad, is it fair? You wanted a $499 Ipad, thus anything above it failed, why did apple release other models? With that same logic Ipad failed, because $499 model is only 1/6 of all Ipad.
Let us look at know facts, and not speculation, or your guesstimate. Like I said in my earlier post we knew nothing about the actual specification, thus i can't comment base on price and price alone about which is better, the same can be said for you.
@HDD & @ED T Please tell me where you read: 2 year contract. Engadget didn't report that, the source didn't report that.
@HDD Please tell me where you read the data plan pricing. Yes, I know, it's industry standard, but industries change, and maybe we can thank Apple here and not actually assume and/or make things up to strengthen arguments.
@juanvaldez
"subsidies" and the original article states "after bundling with telecom carrier services" means contract. Contract means you have a monthly bill. In the US of A it means 2 years. We have to make some assumptions here. The facetious argumentative rebuttals about speculation are just semantics. Without any common-sense assumptions, we can't plan ahead for any purchases that may end up costing thousands of dollars in total cost of ownership. We have to make assumptions that it will be standard data-rates for a data-aware device. My Verizon MiFi is $60 a month. Only Apple has a non-contract data plan as of now. And only Apple has been able to leverage that sort of pricing they are getting from AT&T. I doubt little Taiwanese Asus can negotiate such a deal.
@heliosys
Your facetious argumentative rebuttals are just semantics.
This is eee-pad is way to overpriced. They simply cannot charge that amount to be competitive. You first question if the contract is worth $100 or $300 ++. In fact, it isn't in that ballpark. You have to make assumptions on current data-plan contracts. It is safe to assume Asus does not have the same leverage that Apple, Amazon, or RIM can dictate in telcom data pricing. If you go with standard current rates, it is significantly more than $300+ in your first post.
I never said I only wanted a wifi-only iPad. You are the one making those assumptions with your rebuttal tort. You have to make some comparisons and not everyone is in the market for a 3G data product.
Also, they need a wifi non contract only pad. If it is 3G only, it will not break any market share. Many people already have 4-5 devices with monthly data plan and don't want another. Hence the FAIL!
Like I said, this device has to be $300 unlocked/no contract to be competitive considering all the other 50 or so $100 android devices. Look at Archos, they don't have any market penetration w/ their Android device. MSI has a $500 non-3G Android Tablet. Both are significantly cheaper than the Asus. Even if Asus can get $5 a month data, the MSI is cheaper, cheaper to own.
Dear Engadget,
Your opening should read:
We have more details on the impending Eee Pad. Y'inz guys wanna her 'em?
With gratitude,
Pittsburgh
@Luke Jagoff.
Signed,
Bloomfield
Asus is the sh1t. I love my eeepc, but I use my droid more nowadays. And now they had a baby!
@normanb20 Yes, but it was out of wedlock.
It sounds like someone trying to say ipad in espanõl
I think it doesn't have enough 'E's.
eee pad and iPad have two things in common... The word "pad" and being WAY OVERPRICED! I want to know who has the patent on the word "pad"... They are charging a shitload!
@kapryt who has the patent? Mouse obviously...
@kapryt Except Asus isn't all about looking pretty, they actually focus on bringing what the consumer wants. Not saying, "This is what you want, because it's what I made."
@scots79 Yet if you measure 'what consumers want' using metrics like units sold, apps purchased, data services used, photo uploaded etc. etc. I believe when it comes to mobile devices Apple has Asus beat pretty well.
Now if you're implying what 'some geeks want' you have a point.
June is gonna be one busy month on my wallet, better start saving now.
@hated one Yawn, your trolling is getting old. I'm gonna make a Pop Tart, you want one?
Stylus support PLEASE!!!!!
The iPad is still KING!!
I'm going to have to get this through a wireless provider? Subsidies? Got any specs on this?
@hated one I''m going to have a beer, can I throw one at your face?
I kind of think it's bullshit that I don't have a Streak5 in my hand already right now. I mean seriously, I want it.
I am a apple hater but the ipad really is alot better than this stuff. Can't someone knock some sense in to Jobs and get a flash player in there. There are fixing most of the other issues with the OS4 upgrade but come on...you can't surf the web without flash.
@dswatson83 "You can't surf the web without Flash"
That was my main concern when I got an ipad, but after 2 weeks with it I still haven't hit a site where this was an issue. Maybe I'm just not going to the right websites, but I have yet to see the blue lego or a malfunctioning site.
@mattn2 Huh? What about blogs like this one? Engadget often has flash only video on here. There is a heap of sites that have flash video. And what's Jobs solution? All these websites are supposed to create apps with html 5 video embedded. These same websites do not use html 5 video on their normal websites cause there is no DRM. So iPhone/iPad users get the joy of having pages and pages of apps just to make up for the fact there is no flash.
Rant complete.
@Nate Dogg
Not sure what you're talking about seeing as how I'm using an iPad to view this site.
Maybe the problem here is your reading comprehension. I didn't say I visited every site and had no problem, I said in every site I visited I had no problem. I certainly don't feel like I've missed anything. Maybe there has been nothing for me to miss.
@dswatson83
Please enlighten me, how is Ipad a lot better?
@mattn2 I can definitely be wrong, but between the article I read where they eliminated the "blue triangle" for missing flash on the iPad (to be replaced by white space) and the fact that you don't feel like you're missing anything means you just didn't realize what you were missing.
- Either that or you didn't read an article that had a video. AFAIK iPad users have complained, in the comments here @ engadget, asking when will engadget get their videos on HTML 5 as they can't play the videos. So, the fact that you don't realize what you're missing, well...what you don't know can hurt you.
@heliosys
I used one the other day and the interface flows unbelievably smooth. The Apple apps have great interfaces with function, lots of creative applications, great screen, decent battery life for an lcd...Tons of great things...But I just don't think I can live without flash.
@dswatson83
Although I would love a real OS or widget based interface on the Ipad, the tech just isn't there yet to put enough processor and memory into a device of this side to run it fluidly, especially without taking a hit to battery life.
$480+ AFTER subsidies?
Pass. I really wish this whole subsidy thing for anything other then phones would go away. It's entirely misleading and ends up costing way more in the end.
And any "pad" that is matching apple's pricing better check themselves at the door and seriously consider if the price is justified.
When a netbook is $250, I think consumers, aside from apple products, won't be pulling the trigger nearly as fast for these things.
The first netbook that has a flip screen so that it appears as a tablet with touchscreen and is still in the under $400 category is more* likely to take home the bacon.
*I say more, because untill these tablets start rolling out, there really is no basis for deciding if they will take off, or be just like the tablet laptops that have been around for years.
@Showbiz
Agree. If anyone wants to compete with iPad at this point, unless it is a full fledged windows OS table, it needs to have a similar size&quality screen as the iPad, and cost no more than 350-400, WITHOUT SUBSIDIES.
@tosvus
Agreed, who the hell wants yet ANOTHER contract lock in.
@Showbiz
Viliv s10 if it can come down in price will sweep the market. Very thin, light and almost a real tablet PC with 2ghz. Watch Viliv they are on the edge to real computing power without a $2000 price tag. Personally I would like to see a Lenovo x201 tablet with a dedicated graphics card I would pay for that.