“So here’s what I have to say on the issue. Probably the most important thing to note about tablet PCs is that we are talking about cutting-edge technology here. If we just released the exact same technology as our competitors, we would be missing opportunities to drive this market to the next level – and this is an opportunity we did not want to miss. The result is that our product does carry a slight premium to our competition (emphasis on the word "slight").”
“One of the advantages of bringing a product to market after the competition is tapping into how customers use and value the product. Aspects like brightness touch capabilities and weight can really make a difference in real-world environments (hospitals, classrooms, sales engagements, etc.). That’s why Dell took great pains to design a system that addresses these key pain points.”
The post also includes a comparing sheet between the Latitude XT, the HP 2710p and the Lenovo X61t. The Dell tablet was found to be only 13% more expensive than its competitors, based on its "non-standard features" (Dell’s standard 3 year standard warranty, among other things).
However, the $2500 price tag remains the same, features or no features. Furthermore, that’s the price for the basic configuration (1GHz Intel Core Solo CPU, 1GB RAM, 40GB HDD and 12i-inch screen), while a solid machine (dual core processor, 2GB RAM and a 80GB HDD) would drive the price to around $3000.