It’s not hard to find a cheap Windows 8.1 tablet these days. Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba all have 8 inch models that regularly sell for between $229 and $299 at the Microsoft Store. But chip maker Intel thinks Windows tablets can get cheaper… much cheaper.
At the Intel Developer Forum in China, Intel Vice President Hermann Eul suggested new Windows tablets could sell for as little as $99 to $129.
The tablets would likely feature some of Intel’s newly introduced low-power, low-cost Bay Trail processors. They’d also take advantage of Microsoft’s recent decision to offer Windows free of charge to device makers building tablets and phones with 9 inch or smaller displays.
Windows tablets have struggled to compete with Android and Apple tablets. But with a push from Intel and Microsoft, it looks like next-gen Windows models could be very competitively priced, which could make them a bit more attractive.
There are still far more mobile apps available for Android tablets than Windows tablets, but Microsoft is working to make it easier for developers to create apps that can run across a range of devices including desktops, notebooks, tablets, and phones. That could help boost the number of apps available in the Windows Store.
Cheap Windows tablets also come with Microsoft Office software and the ability to run desktop apps — something you might not want to do all that often on an 8 inch tablet, but something which you can’t easily do on an Android device.
via UMPC Portal and Intel
