ASUS will be using an x86 processor from
Intel or AMD’s ranges for the Windows 8 tablet or using Windows on ARM
and picking something like a next-gen Tegra chip such as Kal-El and
Android version of the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer 2 will be cheaper than
its Windows 8 counterpart, but the grown up Microsoft OS will allow for
more complex document creation and editing. While the Android version
would cost the same as the existing one, the Windows model will carry a
premium due partly to the cost of the operating system and it appears
that both the Android and Windows 8 models are on track for a release at
some point in 2012.
Asus Eee Pad Transformer is
a slate-style tablet with an optional keyboard docking station which
sort of transforms the device into a laptop and the dock also has a
separate battery which nearly doubles the run time. Currently the Eee Pad Transformer is designed to run Google Android 3.x Honeycomb, but now Eee Pad Transformer rumored to run on Windows 8. That certainly makes sense since the new tablet won’t go into production until later on in 2012 when Windows 8 is expected to launch. Like the original Eee Pad Transformer,
its successor will feature an optional keyboard dock with built-in
battery for extended mobile use. Windows 8 itself will offer a much more
tablet-friendly UX than Windows 7 currently provides,
but the keyboard dock will still come in handy for those times when an
on-screen keyboard just doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Actual hardware
specs for the Transformer 2 will likely not be known until much closer to its release, though Asus could certainly be testing Windows 8 on
the current Transformer’s ARM internals. Its dual-core, 1Ghz Tegra
processor and 1GB RAM should provide sufficient horsepower, at least for
basic testing at this stage of the game. ASUS currently
starts the Honeycomb Transformer at $399 for the tablet alone and they
charge $149 for the docking station and Microsoft isn’t scheduled to
release Windows 8 until sometime in 2012.
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