ASUS has brought out the big guns to Computex, including a trio of new
devices that are sure to intrigue gadgets lovers everywhere. The first, and
likely the most innovative offering is the new Padfone.
Although the name Padfone is rather lame to say the least,
the concept for this "tablet" device is rather unique. Rather than
being a full-blown tablet like a Motorola
Xoom or even ASUS'
own Transformer, the tablet portion of the device is a "dumb"
unit. It only houses a 10.1" screen, extended battery, and I/O extender
according to Engadget.
The magic happens, however, when you lift the back flap of
the device and plug in the accompanying smartphone. The combo then turns the
Padfone into a fully functioning Android tablet.
Given the fact that the resulting combo has to house a
full-blown smartphone inside, don't expect for the Padfone to be as svelte as
an iPad 2 or Samsung
Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it is an interesting concept nonetheless. In addition,
ASUS is targeting a December launch timeframe for the Padfone, so expect to see
it running Google's synergy of smartphone/tablet operating systems: Ice
Cream Sandwich.
The next fresh offering on the table from ASUS is the new UX
Series ultraportable. This extremely thin notebook use Intel's latest Core i7
processors and includes a SATA 6Gb/s storage interface. The body of the
notebook is made of a strong and lightweight aluminum alloy and features a
"spun" finish on its polished lid.
At its thickest point, the UX Series measures just 17mm.
The last entry is the new Eee
PC X101. The Eee PC X01 takes ASUS's familiar netbook template and adds a
different twist -- in this case, the twist comes in the form of the MeeGo
operating system with "instant on" capability. Given the
lightweight nature of Meego, the Eee PC X101 should be plenty snappy with its
Intel Atom N455 processor and a mere 1GB of memory.
By sticking with MeeGo instead of the more popular Windows 7
alternative, ASUS will be able to offer the Eee PC X101 for $200 according to Engadget.
