Asus' upcoming Eee Pad tablet will no longer feature Windows CE but will use Google's Android instead.

The downside is that you'll have to wait until next year for it. According to website Netbook News - which got the news straight out of Asus HQ, it claims - the EP101TC will ship with Android 3.0.

That version of the OS isn't due until Q1 2011, but Netbook News' suggestion that Asus will be shipping Eee Pads to carrier partners in December 2010 at least makes us think that the retail launch will come early in the new year.

Expect to see the Eee Pad displayed prominently at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next January. ®