We need to get one thing out of the way immediately with ASUS’ new Windows 7 tablet.  This is not a competitor to the iPad or even any other Windows tablet currently on the market.  With an Intel Core i5 processor and 4Gb of memory powering it, this is definitely a tablet that’s aimed at professionals.

I was delighted when this machine arrived at my door, I’d been curious just what this tablet was like for a while now and wondering just how it would compare to my own Windows 7 tablet an ExoPC (sometimes known as a ZooStorm).  My own tablet runs a dual core Atom running at 1.6GHz and has 2Gb of memory with a 64Gb SSD.

The EP121 also houses as 64Gb SSD and while the processor speed might be just 1.33GHz it powers along with four cores visible to Windows (two of them supported through hyper-threading).  So what else does this tablet have on the hardware front?

The Ram is fast DDR3 and there’s 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth 3.  The screen is 12.1 inches with a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels, though it’s not a new IPS panel.  There’s a 2MP webcam, stereo speakers on either side of the screen and a microphone.  On the left side there’s a volume rocker switch, a mini HDMI port, a combined headphone / microphone port, two USB 2 ports (though they have plastic covers over them that can be fiddly to remove) and an SD/MMC card reader.  Alas there’s no SIM card slot, which I think is essential for any mobile device these days and there’s no support for USB 3.

On the top of the unit next to the power button sits a keyboard button and a rotation lock switch for the in-built accelerometer.  At the far end of the top is a flap which, when opened, pops up a handy stylus.  Finally there’s a button on the front that acts as CTRL-ALT-DEL and that also activates Windows 7′s Flip 3D feature for switching between applications.

The screen itself is just two point touch sensitive and feels a bit washed out when it comes to colour reproduction.  In all I wasn’t as impressed with the screen as I would have liked to have been though the covering of gorilla glass gives it an air of quality.  Indeed there’s quality built in everywhere on this product with an metal surround that just oozes chic and a white textured back that, while it might be an acquired taste, just adds to the overall luxury feel of the tablet.  All told, the build quality of the EP121 is absolutely first rate, and it’s one of the best mobile products I’ve yet seen.

Finishing off this quality build is an included thick leather case with fold out flaps that act as feet to angle the tablet on a table in either portrait or landscape mode, and a rebranded Microsoft bluetooth keyboard.  The tablet is 312 x 207 x 17 mm and weighs in at 1.16Kg.

Battery life is middling for a Windows 7 tablet but excellent for something with this amount of power.  Light use will get you 4.5 hours before needing a recharge, and watching HD video will drop that to 2.5 hours.  This is roughly equal to some tablets running on Atom processors so stacks up very well considering.

The EP121 powered through everything I could throw at it.  Complex Office documents were taken in it’s stride and you can easily edit HD video on this device, though you might have to shackle yourself to the mains power for that.  It left me wondering why ASUS had attached the Eee brand to this tablet when that is normally associated with low-power computing.  Even a friend of mine, who hates my ExoPC, admitted that the EP121 was quick enough to make using Windows enjoyable on a tablet for him, though he added the inclusion of the stylus helped as well.

All this power comes at a price however.  The EP121 costs $1,200 (£1,000) which is double the price of the iPad (even though we mustn’t make that comparison) when it provides a screen that’s not as good and only a quarter of the battery life.

On the face of it then this is a product looking for a market, but there will still be people to whom the EP121 is hugely appealing.  For starters you get a tablet, not just with the ability to run full Windows desktop applications, but also with the power to do so.  Illustrators and professionals who give a lot of presentations might be some of the takers as well as tech enthusiasts who simply want the best.

It makes sense too to have a Windows tablet with the power to run full Windows apps properly and fully with fast response times and speed.  Running some apps on any Atom processor can feel like you’re chugging along trying to do a hill start in second gear.

Only certain people will want to buy this tablet then, despite how much it will appeal to a much broader audience.  These people will be absolutely delighted with their purchase however as the EP121 is a fabulous machine from the excellent build quality to the power on offer.  If power and responsiveness is what you’re looking for in a tablet that has the ability to run full Windows desktop applications then look no further than the EP121, you’ll need deep pockets but you won’t be disappointed.