Canadian Firm Preps Win7 Tablet for September Release

We've talked a lot about Windows 7 tablets since the Apple iPad launched earlier this year. Most of the time, the companies rumored to be developing a slate using the new and very popular Windows 7 operating system (OS) are the usual suspects: popular PC makers like Toshiba or HP.

But out of nowhere comes a new challenger, Canadian company ExoPC, which says it has a Windows 7 tablet in development right now -- and it may be ready sooner than you'd think.

Earlier this year, it looked like several PC companies were going to release iPad-killers. One of the first was Hewlett-Packard (HP), but to date it hasn't given us much hope that a model was in the works.

Pre-Orders Available September 3, 2010

As such, we're very surprised to see this most recent development from ExoPC, which says it will have the first Windows 7 tablet on the market in the world. The company is planning to make pre-orders available on September 3, 2010, with first shipments going out by the end of the month.

In fact, those who've been following ExoPC and are members of its official forum will get their hands on the tablet even sooner, reports say.

Dark Horse Tablet Shows Impressive Specs

Techically, the tablet is a pretty impressive machine. It comes with an 11.6-inch screen (slightly larger than most netbooks), 2GB of RAM, a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom processor, hard drive storage ranging from 32GB and 64GB, and 1080p high definition visuals.

Unlike the iPad, the ExoPC tablet boasts 2 USB slots, a mini-HDMI dock, a card reader, and, of course, the Windows 7 OS. (Source: slipperybrick.com)

Price Causing Confusion

Unfortunately, what we don't know right now is how much all of this is going to cost. Confusion reigns in that regard, and frankly it's hurting ExoPC's chances of making a name for itself. Rumors suggest the new tablet could cost somewhere between $624 and $768 USD.

Although we don't yet know much about ExoPC or its product, tech pundits are already getting excited. "This could be a serious contender," writes tablet blogger Dave Parrack. "I'm definitely interested, as this could be a potential replacement for my laptop." (Source: blorge.com)

Will ExoPC's tablet have the power to replace the standard 15.6-inch notebook computer? Looks like we'll know in about five weeks time.