Asustek Sees Netbooks Keeping Lead Over IPad-like Devices

From PC World: Netbook pioneer Asustek Computer believes its popular Eee PC netbook family will continue to attract more buyers than tablet devices such as Apple's iPad.

The two devices serve different markets, with iPads better for cloud computing and netbooks better for personal computing, said Jerry Shen, CEO of Asustek, during the company's first quarter investors conference in Taipei on Friday.

"The tablet PC is a cloud computing device. If it weren't for Apple this market would develop a lot more slowly," said Shen. Web-based applications for tablet devices like the iPad tend to store their data in the cloud, whereas netbook users tend to store their applications and data on the device, he said. He believes there's only a small overlap in functionality between the two types of device.

Still, Asustek plans to launch its own Eee Pad tablet PC, at the Computex Taipei 2010 electronics trade show, which runs June 1 to 5.

Asus plans a few versions of the Eee pad. "The first phase will use Microsoft software," Shen said.

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