The tablet wars are heating up once again. At this week’s Computex Technology Show, computer manufacturer Asustek debuted its device aimed to rival the iPad — the Asus Eee Pad. A big company with little brand recognition, Asus pioneered the netbook adopted by nearly every computer manufacturer. Given Asus’ ability to see macro trends in tech, does the Eee Pad have a shot at going head-to-head with the iPad?
Set to debut in early 2011 in both 10 and 12-inch versions, the Eee Pad sports many impressive features that rival iPad is still not equipped with, including a video camera, a USB port, a separate keyboard docking station, and Flash support. The Eee Pad runs on Windows 7 OS, with a powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor inside to give users a seamless multimedia experience. Like the iPad, the Eee Pad will also double as an e-reader. Asus chairman Jonney Shih told PCMag’s Dan Costa the Eee Pad will appeal to both media and entertainment consumers as well as those in the business world. Running a complete OS will definitely give the Eee Pad an edge in the enterprise market, an area where the iPad is lacking.
Even with all of these features, will it be enough to take down the iPad? Asus only ranks fifth in terms of PC market share and shipment, with 5.5 percent market share – 13 percent behind leader HP. Although Asus can boast about creating the netbook, even that product isn’t doing well compared to models by HP, Dell, and Acer – currently the top three netbook manufacturers. Still, Asus could charge ahead by appealing to consumers with a preference for a PC operating system. Now that the HP Slate is scheduled to run on Palm’s WebOS instead of Windows 7, Asus may become the only provider to run a desktop OS on a tablet device.
How is the Eee Pad news fairing with the public so far? While many commenters are questioning the use of a Windows OS, the feedback is mostly favorable. One PC World commenter wrote, “Personally, I like the idea of a tablet running the software I use on my PC,” and many comments on other articles expressed a similar sentiment. However, even supporters of the Eee Pad are doubting that it will beat out the iPad. A CNET commenter wrote, “…this thing won’t stand up to the iPad . . . it will probably do more, and be cheaper, but it is not Apple endorsed, and as we all know, Apple hype is a force of its own.”
Ultimately, the success of the Eee Pad will rest on how well the device performs and lives up to its features, and how fast the company can get them into the market. If the Eee Pad debuts before the next generation of the iPad, Asus may have a chance to gain a significant market share. Asus needs an aggressive marketing campaign prior to the Eee Pad’s release, centering on the device’s desktop OS functionality. Doing so would not only give the Eee Pad a true chance to compete, but imprint Asus name in the minds of consumers, too.
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