Asus to Enter Tablet Market

HTC's 12.1-inch tablet, called the "Eee Pad Slate", features an Intel "Core i5" processor and runs on Microsoft Windows 7. Priced around the $1,000 mark, the tablet-laptop hybrid is more expensive than its competitors including Apple front-runner's iPad.

Asus also introduced three other models -- the 7.1-inch "Eee Pad Memo", 10.1-inch "Eee Pad Slider" and a cheaper 10.1-inch "Eee Pad Transformer" -- priced at $400 to $700 and expected to launch in the year. The Slider and Transformer both run on Google's Android operating system and will become available in April and May, respectively. The Memo will be available in June at a price of $500 to $700.

"If you would like the most professional power, full Windows productivity, full Windows compatibility, this is it", said Johnny Shih, Asus's chief executive. "Choice is a key ingredient for success, and we offer consumers the ability to customize their own digital futures with a lineup of products that are unmatched in terms of quality and range of features".

Other PC makers such as Acer and Toshiba, and software developers like Microsoft are expected to unveil tablets at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week as they aim at taking a share of the promising tablet market.

Yet, according to Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute, Apple will maintain its leadership in 2011 with a 70 percent share of the global market, followed by smartphone brands with 20 percent, leaving only a 10 percent share to notebook makers.