@walterbender Yes, there is something special about the tight integration of hardware and software on the iPad, especially compared to the integration (or lack thereof), of hardware and software on many Windows machines. Having the hardware needed to create media projects is not the same as having access to type of software, and processing power, that’s conducive to what I described. We have Windows Movie Maker on our netbooks in my district, and the experience is subpar when compared to many of the free or low cost (less than $5) apps on the iPad. Beyond that, the iPad is much more conducive to being used as an actual video camera. Having used iPad, iPod Touches, and Netbooks for student videos projects where we captured using the built in camera on all three, the ability to record video and audio natively on the iPad was a better experience that the students enjoyed, rather than having to use WIndows Movie Maker to capture the video.
 
Regardless, I think the notion of high-end devices is a relative reality. To us, high end devices would be the standard $1,000 laptop, so iPads (even though we only have a small handful scattered across the district) are more economical. I can see where schools that have standardized on technology based on cost would easily see the iPad as a high-end device. However, I believe your math may be a bit off, as the iPad2 currently sells for $400, but the cheapest NetBook I was able to find (from a reputable retailer) was $200, making it only 50% the cost of the iPad, no 25%. If you have a better connection on price, please let me know as it would be nice to replace our Netbooks with lower cost options when they do need refreshing.