ASUS Eee Pad EP101TC opts for Android, dumps Windows Embedded Compact 7

The lesser of ASUS' two Eee Pad tablets announced at Computex this year, the EP101TC, is getting itself a software rejig ahead of its planned early 2011 launch. Originally slated to run on Microsoft's Windows Embedded Compact 7 -- a wordy OS, if nothing else -- the Pad will now entrust its operational infrastructure to Google's Android. ASUS is currently working on prototypes with Froyo on board, but Gingerbread (or Android 3.0) has not been ruled out as a possible final OS choice. We're told to expect the first public demos at CES 2011, with retail units likely following on from there at a relatively brisk pace.

[Wesscoast Posted Jul 20th 2010 7:20AM]

Nice OS X Dock guys

[Waltah Posted Jul 20th 2010 7:26AM]

Why yes thanks, I will take one.

[cmunic8r2 Posted Jul 20th 2010 7:29AM]

well, hurry up already!

[Shalabi Posted Jul 20th 2010 7:35AM]

This following the same cycle as the iPhone. Everyone sees how awesome it is, tries to push out competing products, but it takes too long to get them to market. Apple leap-frogs them with the next iPad and game begins again.

[ResidentEVO Posted Jul 20th 2010 2:55PM]

@Shalabi
Except that Android has leveled the playing field. Vendors can now focus more time on making their hardware better. You can already see this happening now as more & more Android phones being released are on par or better than iphone 4 (i.e., Droid X, Galaxy S, EVO, etc...). And when FROYO is finally released, Apple had better watch out.

[Xstream Posted Jul 20th 2010 7:47AM]

WIN

[mdb92888 Posted Jul 20th 2010 7:57AM]

I love my Droid but I do not want Android on my tablet. I think tablets should be easily syncable to a computer. I want full functionality but not a full OS.

[RincewindWiz Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:29AM]

@mdb92888 As easily syncable as using a USB connector? I don't see how much easier it could be.

[mdb92888 Posted Jul 21st 2010 8:52PM]

@RincewindWiz i knmow its easy to move files back and forth that way but i want a tablet i buy to act like a device. like the way a ipod or zune is a device.

[Excalibur Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:01AM]

I'm still confused as there doesn't seem to be a market for tablets. I've owned 13 of the damn devices over the years and not many people are interested.

I hope that all the new tablets flop in a big way and its a damn shame that the oems are ditching MS but there you go. At least offer Win 7 compact as an option.

[Excalibur Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:07AM]

@Excalibur

p.s. I seriously don't think that many people will buy a tablet without the damn fruit logo

[vqro Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:48AM]

@Excalibur You sound bitter.

[Ed T Posted Jul 20th 2010 9:06AM]

@Excalibur
You are right, there is no market for W7 tablets. Tablets with other OSes seem to be a bit more popular. I wonder why?

[ResidentEVO Posted Jul 20th 2010 2:59PM]

@Excalibur
True, but user-friendly OS's like IOS and Android didn't exist back then.

[loveman Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:12AM]

There goes my dream of having the perfect Remote Desktop tablet. :(

Sure, RDP is available for pretty much any platform, but it just doesn't work as well on anything that is not a windows OS.

[FC1032 Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:27AM]

I like the idea! I'm very eager to see this in production, especially if this has the same docking system as the 12 in eeepad!

Please bring this before the end of the year!

[Pookiewood Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:28AM]

This is TERRIBLE! Android? Really? This was lookign VERY interesting! The UI looked slick as hell and now Android? LOL! Come on man! MS make these hardware makers stick somehow! I was actaully going to buy this. I was going to use it for my photography business. ANDROID?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?? ASUS you've pissed me off!

[BLEH is my middle name Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:41AM]

What's the point of putting anything but Froyo on it? From what I heard not using Froyo is like using Windows XP instead of Windows XP SP3. It may not be a big deal at first, but the latter is a vast improvement over the former.

(Excuse my simile for allowing for simple, non-eFuse upgrades)

[Wubby Posted Jul 20th 2010 11:04AM]

@BLEH is my middle name

From the source article it sounds like they are skipping Froyo and going straight to Android 3.0 aka Gingerbread.

[Strokr Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:47AM]

This tablet looks nice. I will definitely be picking up one if they're reasonably priced.

[atc9000 Posted Jul 20th 2010 8:49AM]

I just want a iPad style device this fecking year not next, why dont they all pull there heads from up their backside and Do it NOW

GLAD I got that off my chest...

[Snowdog Posted Jul 20th 2010 9:20AM]

Microsoft is facing an uphill battle against Android in this space.

From a manufacturer point of view. Android has momentum, Android is FREE, Android has more apps, Android source is fully available and fully modifiable, Android is getting constant updates making it better.

Win CE 7 won't make a dent.

[Wubby Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:58AM]

@Snowdog

I agree with you. Win CE 7 is DOA. They will have better luck on more powerful tablets that run full Win 7 with an x86 chip but Win CE is just doomed from the start in the Arm tablet market.

[techtroll Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:24AM]

Very nice UI! I will dig deeper into it, hope that it isn't just a facade.

[Haxagon Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:28AM]

Eh, what the heck? Asus made a bad move here, they're just gonna get lost in all of the Android tablets coming out. :(
This was actually looking interesting.

[Wubby Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:53AM]

@Haxagon

Looking interesting? With Win CE 7? Are you sure you aren't thinking of the 12" model that will have full Win 7 and run a C2D culv chip? Win CE 7 was looking horrible and no app market. This is a great move.

[Crand Posted Jul 20th 2010 10:41AM]

As long as I live I will never buy anything from this company. I can't believe they have the reputation they do while treating customers as a liability and replacing your failed products with other failed products. I also wish people would stop calling them "asoos". This company is the epitome of Chinese quality.

[ddhboy Posted Jul 20th 2010 12:40PM]

@Crand
Asus is a Taiwanese company dude.

[Lee1019 Posted Jul 20th 2010 11:34AM]

I'm sick of hearing about Android 3.0 Gingerbread. Froyo source hasn't been available for a whole month to developers. Sheesh Engadget, give it a rest.

[bufbarnaby Posted Jul 20th 2010 12:58PM]

Gingerbread on this would PWN.

[sp991 Posted Jul 20th 2010 1:09PM]

Someone just PLEASE release an android tablet already. PLEASE. The iPad is really cool but I am not going to become a slave to iTunes. We need an android tablet.

[bathellfire Posted Jul 20th 2010 1:57PM]

No Windows? Android! Finally people at Asus came to their senses! Bring it on!

[choupique Posted Jul 20th 2010 3:02PM]

Love my eeePC with Lucid. With the new Kindle App for Android I could see this as my first eBook device.

[philsurmac Posted Jul 21st 2010 4:00AM]

Hi,

Is there anyone here who can tell me which font did they use in the picture for the time etc.. ?

Thanks ;)

[macandme Posted Aug 6th 2010 9:02PM]

There needs to be house cleaning at Microsoft, they have lot of good projects but their execution seems to be terrible and lacking the big picture. I guess that is what happens when you outsource too much.

[gpsxsirus Posted Aug 7th 2010 5:57AM]

Is the UI pictured an Asus custom UI that they'll carry over to Android or was that a Windows Embedded Compact 7 UI?