According to Taiwanese website Digitimes, the first batch of Windows 8 tablets might be targeted at the lower-end of the price band. The site says some hardware makers are working on these entry-level tablets priced around $300 to take on tablets like Kindle and Nook. But there are some loose ends that don’t justify a Windows 8 tablet priced at $300.
All budget tablets from well-known hardware manufacturers till now come with around 7-inch screens. According to Microsoft this is not a common screen size for Windows 8. At this screen size, the resolutions are not enough to ‘snap’ two apps together on the screen. Companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble are able to sell tablets dirt cheap at a loss in the hope of recouping money piggybacking on the content sales. Their ecosystems and business models give them this luxury. But pure hardware play companies like Samsung or Acer or Lenovo don’t have this option.
Traditional hardware companies might be more interested in getting back to selling premium products at better price margins rather than competing with companies that sell hardware at a loss. Therefore while we would love to get a full-blown Windows 8 tablet around $300, there are fewer chances. Hardware companies will focus on faster processors, displays bigger than 7 inches and better storage space instead of competing with the Kindle’s of the world.
What do you think? Would you rather have a cheap tablet that didn’t really break the boundaries of mobile technology or splash out a little more $$$ to get something more of a laptop replacement?
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