Asus unveils two-in-one Padfone tablet

With the official opening of this year's Computex show just around the corner Asus today unveiled a number of new products, including a two-in-one tablet and smartphone called, appropriately, the Padfone.

See our exclusive video of the new products here.

At a press conference in Taipei, company chairman Jonney Shih admitted that tablet computers were threatening traditional laptop PCs.

"The tablet is threatening the notebook", he said, "so the notebook has to evolve very quickly to respond."

And Asus's response includes both new products - a new ultra-thin, ultra light 'UX' laptop - and additions to existing ranges, such as new mid-range laptops with Bang and Olufsen speakers and a newer, cheaper Eee netbook PC.

The Eee X101 is small, thin, colourful, and will be available running the free MeeGo operating system for just $199 in the USA. It will also be available with Windows.

The big announcement of the event, however, was the Padfone hybrid smartphone. The system comprises a smartphone with mobile broadband access and a tablet with an extra battery. Without the phone the tablet does nothing, but clipping the two together gives a larger screen more suited to web browsing or watching videos.

Mr Shih claimed that the transition from one device to another was seamless, so if watching a video the viewer could clip the phone into the tablet and carry on from the same place, for example.

UK prices and availability dates for the new products have yet to be announced.

Follow all the latest news from Computex 2011 here.