[citation][nom]razor512[/nom]for the desktop version of windows 8, part of the testing I did involved limiting how much memory is used, at 2GB, browsing the web for a few hours with firefox and about 25 tabs caused it to start seriously thrashing away with the virtual memory.PS if you take apart a netbook, you will see that it does not take much space, most of the space is empty space because thickness is added to handle the battery, if they move to the kind of battery commonly used with tablets, and added a very thin copper heat spreader for the CPU, they can easily take a current netbook and put it in a half inch thick casePS intel atom CPU's can be passibely cooled if you use a heat spreader (many dell netbooks are passively cooledalso a IPS display is not very expensive compared to a TN panel, there is usually about a $20 price premium for the IPS panel (which can be offset by the reduced production cost from not having to add a heyboard or touchpad)A digitizer is usually around $30-40if anything, turning a netbook into a tablet and adding a IPS display and touch screen will probably bring the retail price from around $270 to about $300-320 the tablet listed in this article is essentially a netbook without a keyboard or touchpadPS a atom based system can be made much thinner than an ultrabook or a macbook air since they are using CPU's with TDP's of around 2-3 watts instead of 20-30 watt CPU'sPS, I am not new here, profile:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/profile-141639.htm Also not all tablets use IPS displays[/citation]
Don't mind me, I'm just messing with ya.
But what you have to admit that what you said was kinda silly. A netbook with a touch screen generally starts at $4-500, so it is entirely understandable that a shiny new tablet (remember what we learned from apple; trendy means profit) would also start in this range. And these will be much more capable than some silly ARM based products, because they can run x86 code... all be it slowly. I never cease to be amazed as what I have gotten my old netbooks to do... if given the time to do it. They are not quick, but they can do anything slowly, and the new Atoms are nothing to snuff at (except in the GPU department).
Also, netbooks have those air pockets so that the parts (HDD, north bridge, etc.) can breathe; it is not all just for the sake of the battery housing or CPU (remember the old Atoms had a wonderfully low TDP, but the NB took much more power). You start slimming down and then you have to use better heat spreaders, better paste, an SSD, low voltage ram, more durable case/screen materials, flat batteries instead of AA or AAA style rechargeables... it really does add up. The CPU may be the same as a netbook... but aside from that they are different monsters, and so long as they are 'new' they will be more expensive than they ought to be.