Asustek Computer as well as number of other manufacturers have announced a large number of personal computers in slate form-factors. Hardware that powers those devices is much more powerful than that which powers Apple iPad. But Apple is getting ready to release its second-generation iPad, which will naturally be more advanced than its predecessor. Nonetheless, the chairman of Asus believes the company has a "secret weapon" against the iPad 2.

"We already know some of the details of [Apple iPad 2], such as what kind of processor they chose. We very carefully chose our tablet processor, the Nvidia Tegra 2, and to really compete it will take [Apple] some time. You know, [Nvidia] is well known for graphics. Also, we will try to provide a 'secret weapon', something we have not shown at this time but closer to the launch time we will show," said Jonney Shih, the chairman of Asustek Computer, in an interview with Computerworld web-site.

Mr. Shih declined to reveal what kind of secret weapon Asustek may have against Apple. Naturally, Asus tablets may simply be more affordable compared to Apple's, but given currently existing price-ranges and the nature of the devices, the price may not be the main factor based on which customers choose slates. Services- and content-wise Apple has been the champion among consumer electronics companies and it will be pretty hard for Asus to beat it.

The chairman of one of the world's largest makers of electronics noted "personal cloud computing" as one of the most important trends in 2011. Perhaps, Asus plans to offer certain cloud-based services, in addition to its remote storage service, that will make its Eee-branded tablets and netbooks more attractive to consumers.

Tags: ASUS, Eee, iPad