Asus, along with several other manufacturers, announced a line of Android-based tablets during CES. Shortly thereafter, rumors began running rampant that not only would these Tablets not be shipping with Honeycomb, but that Asus had also pushed back the expected launch date to Q3. Fortunately, Asus has come out and spoken with Tech In Syle and cleared up some of these nasty rumors.
The Inquirer was alleging that John Swatton, an Android marketing specialist for Asus, told them that because Google had not yet announced the requirements for Honeycomb, they could not definitively say that it would be the OS of choice for it's upcoming line of tablets. Asus responded to these claims, stating that they are untrue and the subject of misinterpretation of information. Asus said that because Google has not officially released the specifications for Honeycomb, Asus and other manufacturers are simply going on possible guidelines for the OS, NOT that it will not be launching with the device, and that it is just a matter of waiting on Google's release schedule. Asus also denied rumors that the companies release schedule has changed to Q3 2011, and said it still expects to launch the devices as per the original announced schedule; April, May and June.
Then there was a claim that because the tabs won't have phone functionality, they will not be able to run the Android Market; and Asus will have to develop it's own marketplace. The company also debunked this rumor, saying that not only did it show at CES that its MeMo 7-inch tablet will have phone functionality via Bluetooth, but its other larger devices will ship with the Android Market. Asus explained that unlike Froyo, Honeycomb is built from the ground up for tablets, thus eliminating the restrictions for the use of the Android Market that currently exist in versions of Android prior to Honeycomb. Not to mention anyone with a WiFi connection will be able to access the Android Market.
It's good to see Asus coming out and clearing up a lot of this misinformation so swiftly, and we hope that this clears any confusion up that there may have been. All is well thus far ladies and gentleman, so sit back and relax. [Tech in Style]
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