Windows 8 is being set up as an operating system that"s ready to go toe to toe with Apple"s iOS and Google"s Android in terms of being used for touch screen tablets in addition to its traditional role of the PC desktop and laptop operating system. But just how much money would you pay for a tablet that had Windows 8 inside? A new survey by ZDNet may have the answer to that question.
The survey, which polled 1,400 people, indicated that 38 percent of them would only pay for a Windows 8 tablet if it were priced between $200 and $399 and 27 percent of the survey respondents said they would pay between $400 and $599 for a Windows 8 tablet. Finally, 19 percent said they would purchase a tablet if it were priced less than $199 while only 16 percent would pay higher than $600 for such a tablet.
The results are fairly clear. The majority of people who want Windows 8 tablets also want them on the cheap, at prices around that of Amazon"s Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet. Not as many people want a Windows 8 tablet that is priced similar to Apple"s iPad line. The problem is that even Amazon had to work hard to get the Kindle Fire down to its $199 price point.
The article speculates that the sweet spot for a Windows 8-based tablet will in fact be $499 but that will depend largely on the kinds of hardware features the tablet will have. It"s also possible that by the time Windows 8 is ready for launch, the price point for making tablets could be low enough for a solid tablet device to be sold at a price that"s cheaper than $499.