When Asus chairman Jonney Shih unveiled its challenge to the Apple iPad -- the Asus Eee Pad -- on stage at Computex today, the crowd of journalists almost rushed the stage with excitement.

When chairman Jonney Shih unveiled the Asus Eee Pad on stage at Computex today, the crowd of journalists almost rushed the stage with excitement.

Unlike the similarly-named Asus Eee Tablet, which is designed to compete with e-Readers like the Nook and the Kindle, the Eee Pad is designed to go head-to-head with the Apple iPad.



The Eee Pad is a Windows 7-based device that uses an Intel CULV Core 2 Duo processor and a touch-sensitive capacitive screen. It can be used as a multimedia player, e-reader, Web-browser, or, with the help of a keyboard docking station, full-featured PC. Asus will be releasing two versions of the Eee Pad. The EP101TC will come with a 10-inch screen and the EP121 will ship with a 12-inch screen. Asus claims both systems will deliver at least 10 hours of battery life.



Asus chairman Jonney Shih says that tablet devices like this will bridge the conventional divide between business and consumer products. "We envision a different kind of usage scenario," Shih said. "You can be both a premier professional and a housewife."

Question is, can Asus get an Eee Pad in her hands before she buys an iPad. No specific ship date was given.

Originally posted to Gearlog.