Netbook prices approach affordability after Acer cuts

Although netbooks really only hit the market less than a year ago, the pint-sized notebooks seem to be showing signs already of commoditization, though maybe with greater differentiation on the high end.

Acer has just announced price drops of on both the Windows and Linux editions of its Aspire One netbook line. An Aspire One netbook with Windows XP Home, a 120 GB hard disk drive, 1 GB of RAM, and a three-cell battery is now list priced at $349.99.

A similarly outfitted netbook outfitted with Linpus Linux now retails for $329, or only about $30 more than a 16 GB Apple iPhone 3G. Of course, with the netbook as opposed to a smartphone, you might have no need to contact with a wireless service provider.

Meanwhile, a higher-end Aspire One with XP Home and a six-cell battery can now be purchased for $399. Like other members of Acer's line-up, it sports an Intel Atom processor and an 8.9-inch LCD.

At the same time, though, Asus -- a major netbook pioneer with the Eee -- is reportedly now planning its own high-end model, dubbed the N10 and priced at around $486 to $630 in US dollars. The N10 will be equipped with a 10-2-inch LCD, along with niceties such as as a fingerprint reader and Altec Lansing speakers.