New German tablet PC dubbed WePad to rival iPad

[April 20, 2010]  BERLIN (AP) -- The German maker of a new tablet computer is setting out to rival Apple's iPad with the promise of even more sophisticated technology.

Neofonie GmbH says the WePad outperforms the iPad by sporting a bigger screen, a webcam and USB ports for connecting printers and other devices.

The WePad is to be officially presented on Monday, along with information about its pricing.

Berlin-based Neofonie says it hopes to appeal to publishers by allowing them to sell their content on its platform without monopolizing the customer relationship as Apple's iTunes or Amazon's Kindle do, thereby reducing publishers to a simple content supplier.

Apple's iPad has not yet gone on sale in Germany, and the WePad is expected to hit the stores earlier than Apple's latest gadget.

[Associated Press]

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