And that CEA study was two years ago -- before the current recession and consumers' belt-tightening ways. To me, $500 seems like the sweet spot for a premium consumer gadget.

And then there's Apple's product lineup. Currently, there's a big gulf between the 32GB iPod touch ($399) and the $999 MacBook. Let's assume Apple drops the iPod touch price, as it did recently with .  The Big Tablet would fill the void nicely at $499.

Of course, for Apple to achieve its desired profit margin, that $500 price tag may include a 3G service contract with a major wireless carrier. Given the enormous success of the iPhone, it wouldn't be surprising if AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon would be willing to subsidize the tablet's cost to sign up new subscribers. are becoming increasing common, so the subsidized model for consumer hardware is already in place.

And, no, I didn't call the Big Tablet a netbook. .

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