The Netbook Navigator Nav 9 tablet PC drops price after iPad announcement

The Netbook Navigator Nav 9 tablet PC

One of the major influences the iPad announcement had was in setting a firm tablet price for the market. Although the iPad is technically a MID, you’ll see a lot of tablet PC makers either discount their previously released tablets or price their soon-to-be announced tablets to match Apple’s $499-$839 range.

Case in point, the Netbook Navigator Nav 9 tablet PC. If you’re not familiar with Netbook Navigator’s Nav 9, it’s an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 resolution touchscreen that runs off an Intel Atom N270 processor. It features 16GB of SSD storage (optional upgrades for 32GB, 64GB or 128GB SSDs are available), 2GB of RAM, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth and optional 3G. It runs Windows 7 Home Premium and has 3 USB ports, a 1.3MP webcam, microSD slot, SIM card and a 3 cell battery rated for 2.5 hours per charge. It measures 10 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches and weighs 2 pounds.

When it was originally announced the pricing hovered around $1200. Now that the iPad pricing is live, that figure has dropped to $799 for its 16GB option (and $1399 for its 128GB option). While that’s still more than the base, non-3G 16GB iPad, Netbook Navigator thinks it has a superior product on its hands (as evidenced by this chart they’ve made).

Once again, you’re really (quite literally) comparing Apples to oranges but that’s not going to stop companies from comparing their tablet PCs to Apple’s iPad. In the end, that’s good news for consumers as most manufacturers will be trimming costs any way they can to get on the same price margin as Apple.

Source: Liliputing