Apple's rivals eye tablet market at Computex fair

The Taiwanese electronics company Asustek yesterday unveiled the latest challenger to Apple's iPad, showcasing a cheaper tablet computer at the Computex Show in Taiwan – the world's second-biggest computing fair after the CeBIT exhibition held in Hanover, Germany, each year.

The Asus Eee Pad is one of a string of devices hoping to knock Apple off its perch, with Asustek offering 10-inch and 12-inch models from $399 from January. The pricing undercuts Apple quite significantly, with the US computer giant having priced its iPads from $499 upwards.

While Computex has this year been dominated by companies hoping to cash in on the popularity of the tablet market developed by Apple, the show also gives computer manufacturers the chance to showcase new technologies such as the sunglasses with in-built video recording facilities displayed on Taide's stand.