Asus is working on a 3G Eee Pad tablet computer, and it will run on Google's Android operating system. Our friends from the German site Netbook News headed over to Asus HQ and got the details.
The Eee Pad was originally slated to use Windows CE, but has dropped that in favor of whichever flavor of Android will be available at launch. And talking of launch dates, we're looking at the beginning of next year, by which time Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) should be ready. And the 3G part? Asus will be handing off testing units to telcos in December, so if all goes to plan a Q1 Eee Pad looks good.
Android is likely to be the OS of choice amongst tablet-makers (apart from HP, with its newly acquired webOS and Apple, of course). It's free, it is designed for mobile devices and above all it doesn't have to fight against an incumbent Windows market. One of the problems with the first wave of Linux netbooks was their lack of familiarity: people buying cheap computers were used to Windows. This problem doesn't yet exist with tablets, so Android may in fact become the next Windows.
ASUS EP101TC Now Shipping with Android [Netbooks News. Thanks, Sascha!]
Image: Netbooks News
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