Asus Eee Pads and Slates First Look

Eee Pad Slider

Manufacturer: Asus

The Slider has our curiosity well and truly piqued. It appears to be thicker than a basic tablet, but that flick up display and keyboard is a novelty we can't wait to try. As you can see, there's that blue USB 3 port on the side and mini-HDMI output on the back, as well as another unidentified port alongside it.


The Slider features the same 512MB or 1GB RAM as the Transformer, and two cameras: a 1.2meagpixels in the front and a 5megapixel camera on the back. The only storage options listed are either a 16GB or 32GB SSD - there's not the 64GB option of the Transformer, but there is the option of 3G. Its 10.1in screen is again an IPS panel with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 and capacitive touch technology.

Asus claims the price is between $499 and$799 (depending on the options) and it should be available in May, slightly after the Transformer.


Bar the texturing on the back of the EP121 and Transformer, all models are thankfully going for a generally minimalist design, which is a good start. However, important factors such as battery life and weight have yet to be tested. Typically, it's the backlight of a screen that eats the most power in a laptop, so 11-12in tablet PCs are likely to need larger (and heavy) batteries to get a day's worth of life. An LED backlight would cut some power consumption, but would add to the price.

Obviously these are just concepts and the final product will dictate whether they are a good buy or not, but is Asus' attempts to try something different in a market full of plain, square tablets something that interests you? Let us know your thoughts, in the forums.