14 DAY TRIAL // There was a time when the lowest-end laptops were called netbooks, sold for $599 / 599 EUR and were considered very cheap, but that time will not compare to what is coming.
Due to tablets, some of which sell for under $200 / €200, laptops have had to make modifications and, whenever possible, cut down on the price.
Acer has now decided to really stretch things and release notebooks with touch support that sell for just $399 / €399.
That's less than normal 10-inch slates ship for ($499 / €499) and definitely a small sum.
Microsoft's subsidies for Windows 8 operating system will play a key part here, especially for 11.6-inch models.
It is unlikely for touch-based laptops to get any cheaper though. Not just in the near term, but in the long term as well. There just isn't room for further component and licensing price cuts.