
On Tuesday, MMi's Phillip Swanson meticulously outlined the pros and cons of Microsoft's freshly unveiled Surface tablet, which by all accounts, heralds Microsoft’s entry into the tablet market - a move that has the potential "to be a legitimate challenger if for no other reason than Microsoft owns over 90% of the personal computing OS market share worldwide."
But in addition to the positive attributes (and no shortage of borrowed ideas from Apple) that underscore the creation, look, and functionality of the Surface tablet, there may be one attribute above all others that will do the most to help Microsoft knock the iPad down a peg or two: the Surface tablet's price.
As of this writing, Microsoft hasn't confirmed what the company's new tablet will cost. But the buzz inside the company suggests that the Surface may tread deep below the surface of where other competitive tablets dwell. In fact, the Surface tablet may not only be priced below the new iPad's introductory level, it could also be priced below the Amazon Kindle Fire, which presently retails for just $199.
Microsoft's long anticipated foray into tablet territory was believed to have been the chief motivator for Apple to create a so-called iPad Mini, which some analysts believe could be announced this fall and similarly be priced at or below $199. If so, Microsoft will have a much harder time gaining traction against Apple in this arena.
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