Study suggests $600 mass-market sweet spot for Apple tablet

While most Mac users would have no problem paying more than $600 for Apple's long-rumored tablet, most PC users would not consider hardware above that price, a new study suggests.

In a survey of 753 customers, Retrevo.com found that 64 percent of PC users accustomed to low-cost machines would only buy the Apple tablet if it costs less than $600. But 27 percent of Mac users would pay between $600 and $800, and 41 percent said they would spend more than $800 on the still-unseen hardware.

In conclusions drawn from the Gadgetology survey, the company said that the iPhone has found success by appealing to users beyond the Mac market, and the tablet must do the same. The study also assumed that those considering the pruchase of a netbook would be most interested in the touchscreen device.