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Dividing line?
Dunno, but I recently picked a Netbook to supplement my Tablet PC for 3 basic reasons:
- weight under 3 lbs
- price under US$300
- real-world battery life of 6+ hours (it might actually deliver the nominal 8 hours of the spec but I'm the limiting factor right now)
Maybe at some point next year the new ultralight class that is now running US$500-600 might start getting discounted and meet that particular price/size/performance spot, but today there's still a clear divide.
I'd say that if you particularly care about gaming or graphics you don't want a netbook. If you don't and some combination of form factor/price/battery life persuades you, then you'll do fine with an Atom-based system.
Odds are there will be some cross-shopping between the more expensive Netbooks and the cheaper notebooks--especially now that Netbooks aren't stuck with a 5-year-old OS--but the core of each market will remain distinct for at least another year, if nothing else on pricing; netbooks much above $300 don't make much consumer sense and thin-n-lights don't make much manufacturer sense much below $500.
The big fight should be over the no-man's-land of $400...
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