That's my point, there are plenty of devices that offer EXACT same things as tablets - smartphones - iPhone/iTouch, numerous android devices, windows 7 devices etc. The only drastic difference being the screen size.. It's weird how people see the appeal in these and not the netbooks.

Are they going to run major Windows applications well, though?

To me, I'd rather have a smaller tablet app stores, or just get a laptop which can run everything.

Well netbooks aren't meant for gaming and they will run most other applications well enough. The point of a netbook is a highly portable laptop to do things like taking notes at lectures, doing work on a plane and things like that. Things that tablets are usually poor at due to their lack of a keyboard.

This tablet has a keyboard

I understand the reasoning behind a netbook, but I'd just rather go all-in and get a tablet which is even more portable, and has a better form factor. When I was at GDC this year, the netbook guys were the ones that looked the most uncomfortable, as they had to hunker over their books for note-taking.

The coolest guys had the tablet/keyboard setup in a foldable notebook case. Coolest thing I've ever seen.

Once you attach the keyboard it simply is a netbook. Except more costly for the specs.

I dunno, I guess some people can see a reason for the tablets I just can't see any situation where one would be of use to me.

Yeah, they easily run major applications. They are commonly used for web browsing (REAL web browsing), MS Office, watching videos like YouTube and Hulu, etc.

These android tablets are becoming flavor of the week like devices...

I'm not buying any tablet till Windows 8 comes out and we will see whats left standing and whats actually useful when the dust settles.

Looks like you've been the victim of peer pressure

http://www.amazon.com/HP-Mini-110-3530NR-Netbook-Black/dp/B004G8QO8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302426013&sr=8-1

That's the one my mother has, and it's whopping 100$ cheaper too

People who don't understand tablets need to let go of the idea that it's about what the device does. It's a computer. It takes an input and processes it into an output according to its programming, just like any other computer.

What seperates mainframes from desktops from tablets is the how and the where, not the what. A laptop is a desktop that can move between different desks or desk-like surfaces. Its clamshell design is inherently unbalanced, making it hard to use without a desk-like surface and hard to share with others. Its supposed need to offer all the power, drives, and connectivity of a desktop PC adds even more bulk and limits battery life, so it often remains tethered to a power cord even when not on a desk.

A tablet is a way to truly leave the desk behind, without limiting yourself to the tiny input/output area of a smartphone or iPod. Its design is lightweight and balanced, making it easy to operate one-handed or in places with no desk-like surface, such as when standing or lying down. It also makes it easy to share with others. A long battery life, combined with even longer standby time and instantaneous wake from sleep make it easy to keep detached from the wall outlet and quick to respond to a sudden use case. It's a computer which stays usable no matter what your position or location is.

What the touchscreen lacks in precision it makes up for in flexibility. The interface is customized to the application, or even a particular task within the application. If you need a keyboard, it's there. If you don't, it's gone. Even the keyboard itself is optimized to particular functions, offering a ".com" key when entering a web address, for example. Furthermore, it removes a layer of abstraction from the interface which many people find to be a barrier to computing. Rather than manipulating a pointer which manipulates objects on a screen, you touch the object on the screen directly if you want to manipulate it.

All of this is aside from the clear advantage that tablets get by embracing digital distribution even closer than conventional PCs do.

Thanks for posting this, mrstickball. After some research I agree, this tablet looks very interesting.

Seems we're not the only ones who find it interesting: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/computers/429892031/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_computers_1_2_last

Will this become the first worldwide non-Apple tablet success?