If you’ve got a product ready to tell the world about, you obviously haven’t just started work on it so these two very similar 8.9” tablets aren’t a results of any iPad hype and the fact that they are based on the netbook platform and offering Windows 7 means that they are targeted at a different, more productivity-focused user; just the sort of user that comes to UMPCPortal!

First-up is the ExoPC. Offered by a French company (with no English website. Clearly not interested in being the global #1,) it’s based on a 2009 netbook platform but offers a multi-touch screen, a 4 hours battery and, based on the SIM-card slot, a 3G option. A weight of 795gm 32GB SSD and 2GB RAM give it specs that raise it slightly above the average netbook and fit well with the requirements of a productive Windows 7 environment.

ExoPC have helpfully provided a comparison page which includes the Archos 9 and iPad but omits the other competitors, the Nav 9 and the EviGroup Pad. Pricing is $599 and is said to be available in March.

On to the Nav 9 then, this is the one that appeared last month as the Netbook Navigator 891A-NN. Again, we’re looking at a sub-1KG (2lb) 8.9” tablet but entry-level pricing gives you a slightly more basic model. Low capacity (2hrs) battery, 1GB RAM and 16GB of SSD are all lower than the ExoPC but there are options to upgrade all of them. A base unit (no OS, single touch, no cam) is going to cost you $500 and expanding everything possible will take you way up to a scary $1500 although at that price you’re getting 3G, 128GB SSD and the multi-touch screen.

It’s obvious that these two are from the same OEM (Sinchun) so it will be very interesting to see how these two companies position their competing products because as we all know here in UMPC-land, devices without keyboards are a tough-sell.