Lenovo’s Windows RT tablets to be up to $300 cheaper than Windows 8

There have been many rumors surrounding the price of Microsoft’s Surface tablet, including speculation that the Windows RT version could cost as low as $199. Now Lenovo, the world’s second largest PC vendor, provides some idea of how much these tablets running on Windows 8 could cost.
In an interview with Bloomberg, David Schmoock, head of Lenovo’s North America operations, estimates the company’s Windows RT based tablets will be $200 to $300 cheaper than competing Windows 8 devices. The proper Windows 8 tablets that can run legacy Windows software are expected to cost $600 to $700. Windows RT devices are those that will be based on ARM architecture chipsets from companies like Qualcomm and Nvidia, while Windows 8 Pro devices will run on traditional x86 platform running on Intel and AMD chips.
Microsoft is looking at Windows RT devices to compete with Apple’s iPad and a slew of Android tablets from Samsung, Asus and others while Windows 8 Pro machines would compete with Apple’s MacBooks and iMacs. Considering the price bracket, it is very likely that the Surface would be competitive if not cheaper than the cheapest current generation iPad that starts from $499. However, the success of Windows RT tablets will not just depend on the price but also the number of apps available for them at the time of launch on October 26.