German WePad To Give Apple's iPad A Run For Its Money

German computer manufacturer Neofonie has released a new tablet computer that could be a major competitor to Apple's iPad thanks to a beefier configuration although price is still an unknown.

The device runs on Google's Android OS and has been described by some as a netbook without the keyboard. Markus Goebel of Techcrunch says that it will come to Germany before the end of April when the iPad is expected to be released.

The Wepad comes with a 11.6-inch screen that can display a third more pixels than the iPad, a more powerful Intel Atom processor that runs at 1.66GHz, a webcam, 16GB NAND flash expandable to 64GB, Flash and AIR compatibility, native multitasking and two USB ports.

It is slightly heavier than the iPad (850g vs 680g) and a tad longer as well. As expected, the battery life is significantly lower at six hours (compared to 10 hours for Apple's device) and the iPad will still come with an unlimited data package.

Some have although questioned the fact that Neofonie, which is a 12-year old company, is unknown outside Germany and whether consumers will not shun the device simply because of that.

The device was apparently showcased at Cebit at the beginning of the month and it is interesting to note that the company also runs an ebook platform called WeMagazine and a search engine called WeFind.