9:45 AM -- AsusTek Computer Inc. has developed a touchscreen tablet device to compete with Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL)'s iPad, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The device is called the Eee Pad [ed. note: Because three vowels are better than one?] and will use Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT)'s Windows 7 operating system and Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC)'s Core processor. It will launch in the first quarter of next year, at which time AsusTek will also launch an app store, jointly with Intel, WSJ says.

AsusTek is smaller than other companies -- such as Dell and HP -- that are planning iPad competitors, but, as WSJ points out, it has gained notoriety in recent years for "pioneering the netbook."

Meanwhile, Apple announced yesterday that iPad sales have topped 2 million since the device's launch.

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