CES: Asus takes on the iPad with four tablets

Company bets on power over price with Windows- and Android-based devices

Asus has shown off four tablet PCs due for release this year, including three Android models and a power-focused Windows 7 device running Intel's Core i5 processor.

The company used the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to unveil the Eee Slate, a Windows 7 tablet with more raw power than an iPad and a price tag to match.

The Eee Slate costs $999 to $1,099 (£640 to £705) for a unit with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, a 64GB solid state drive and a 12.1in 1,280 x 800 touch display.

The device will go on sale later this month, and includes 802.11n wireless support, a mini-HDMI port, two USB ports, a card reader, and a 2-megapixel dual webcam.

"It's a PC, but it's not very PC," said Asus chairman Jonney Shih.

The Eee Pad Transformer, meanwhile, is a thin 10in tablet running Android due for release in April. The Transformer includes a removable keyboard for data input and will be priced at $399 to $699 (£255 to £449).

The Eee Pad Slider is scheduled for release in May, and is a 10in tablet with a keyboard which slides from the housing, similar to the Motorola Droid smartphone.

The Android-powered machine with have dual cameras for videoconferencing and will be aimed at the business and consumer markets.

Finally Asus will release a 7in tablet similar to RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook dubbed the Eee Pad MeMO in June. The device will use a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and be priced at $499 to $699 (£320 to £449).