Conclusions
We've been covering the netbook market since the beginning, and over the past year, we've largely seen minor variations on the same basic theme. The M912, however, is a more radical departure from traditional netbook form factors that can easily be transformed into a tablet. We've been eagerly awaiting the M912 since we first caught wind of it this summer, but now that it's finally arrived, I'm a little disappointed by the final product.

As a concept, the M912 is a definite winner. Tablets work well for web surfing and media playback, and those are two things that netbook hardware can handle easily, especially when you're basking in the high-resolution glory of a 1280x768 display. Pen-based input also makes sense for students taking notes that mix text with diagrams and other scribbles, and with the right software, the M912 is certainly up to the task. Unfortunately, you have to add the software yourself, since the M912 can't translate handwriting out of the box.

You don't need handwriting recognition in netbook mode, but you will have to deal with a relatively small keyboard that feels a little mushy. The M912's battery life is quite poor, as well, with the system only managing about two-and-a-quarter hours of run time on a single charge. The lack of Gigabit Ethernet and draft-n wireless support is also disappointing given the M912's price, which is the real sticking point.

The M912 isn't widely available just yet, but it's selling for $800-850 online, which is quite expensive for an Atom-based system. If tablet PCs were selling in the $1500-2000 range they occupied years ago, the M912 would be a more affordable alternative. These days, however, you can get a full-blown tablet PC from HP—the Pavilion tx2500z—with a much faster dual-core Turion processor, a bigger 12.1" 1280x800 display, integrated Radeon HD 3200 graphics that can actually handle games, an dual-layer DVD burner, and Windows Vista for just $850. The Pavilion weighs about a pound and a half more, and it's a little bigger, but its hardware is much more capable. Why settle for an M912 that offers so much less at essentially the same price?

If the M912 were selling for $500-600, with handwriting recognition software included, I could see recommending the system to folks looking for a netbook with tablet functionality. Combining the two makes a certain amount of sense, and quirks aside, Gigabyte has done a reasonably good job with the implementation. I can see even greater potential if multi-touch trickery can be hacked into the M912's touchscreen, which would make it an even better media player and tablet browser. At its current price, though, the M912 doesn't deliver nearly enough value to earn our recommendation.