Asus announced the release of its 12.1-inch Eee Slate B121 Windows 7 Tablet PC in Japan.

ASUS Eee Slate B121 is powered by the latest 1.33GHz Intel Core i5-470UM processor and runs Windows 7 Professional 32-bit. The Eee Slate is equipped with TPM v1.2 security chip by TCG (Trusted Computing Group), for enhanced encryption and more secured work environment.  It has a 12.1-inch high-end FFS display (Fringe Field Switching) with wide viewing angle of 178 °, electromagnetic induction system, capacitive multi-touch and Wacom Feel IT Technology – Electro Magnetic Resonance Technology (EMR) supporting pen input operations.

Also, the tablet comes with 4GB of memory, 64GB SSD storage – providing the same high performance of a business laptop. In addition, Windows XP Mode can be installed and executed on top of Windows 7, due to the CPU virtualization support (VT-x). Additionally, a webcam, USB, mini-HDMI connector and card reader are provided too.

The white colored tablet is about 16mm thick and weighs 1.1kg, which makes it extremely easy to carry around. The Eee Slate B121 battery life is approximately 4 hours (depending on use).

Asus Eee Slate B121 specs

• Color White
• OS  Windows 7 Professional 32-bit (SP1)
• CPU 1.33GHz Intel Core i5-470UM processor (SpeedStep, VT-x, Hyper-Threading, Turbo Boost Technology) up to 1.86GHz (with TB on)
• RAM 4GB
• Display 12.1-inch WXGA (1280 × 800) Wide TFT LED backlit LCD Multitouch screen
• Chipset mobile Intel HM55 express chipset
• Storage 64GB SSD
• Wireless   WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 + HS
• Security  TPM v1.2 Chip (TCG)
• Ports mini HDMI × 1, USB 2.0 × 2, Card Reader (SDXC,SDHC,SD,MMC)
• Camera 2MP Webcam
• Battery  3.8 hours (battery operating time measured by JEITA v1.0)
• AC adapter 51.4W
• Dimensions  312mm × 207mm × 16mm
• Weight  Approximately 1.1kg
• Accessories  EMR pen, AC adapter
• Software Adobe Reader X, Asus Vibe, ArtRage 3.0 Studio, Asus WebStorage, Windows Live

The Asus Eee Slate B121 will be released (in Japan) mid-October with a suggested retail price of ¥139,800 Yen, tax included (approx. $1832 USD).

Two weeks ago, the Asus Eee Slate B121 was announced in Germany and Austria with SRP of $1570 USD (including a Bluetooth keyboard, stylus, AC adapter and protective sleeve and a Microsoft Windows Professional 64-bit).