Lenovo's Schmoock is quoted by Bloomberg as saying “RT will play in the consumer and retail at very aggressive price points”.  Even more noteworthy is that he goes on to price standard Windows 8 tablets saying they will cost between $600 or $700--a much lower price point than many of us have anticipated.

Lenovo says Windows 8 tablets will cost between $600 to $700 with RT versions $300 cheaper.

http://www.wpcentral.com/lenovo-600-700-for-Windows-8-tablet

I'm not getting too excited about this one. It would be nice though and a shitload of people would be buying, that's for sure.

Are Microsoft targeting their own Surface tablets and premium products then? All the rumours about the Surface tablets suggest they'll be at approx. $800+ making them the more expensive Windows tablets if all third parties are following Lenovos pricing.

Wouldn't destroy Apple even if they sold it for $1, because Apple never compete on price and would prefer lower unit sales/marketshare to lower profit margins. They're competing with the Nexus tablet and Kindle Fire at best.

All a very low priced Win8 tablet will do is drive any OEMs that currently support Windows 8 tablets out of business, since MS charge then $85 per OS sale but themselves nothing. If they then also sell this at a hardware loss there is no way for OEMs to compete.

Where they will struggle is app support. Who is going to write new applications for four different targets? (Win8, Win8 Metro, Win8 on ARM, Win Phone 8)? The Win8 app store is empty now and it'll still be empty at launch.

At underlined.

WP8, Win 8 is reported to be the same arcitecture. Also there is no Win 8 and Win 8 metro are the same thing. Its not like you can get Win 8 without metro. Win 8 is win 8 and the marketplace is the same across all devices.  For example, Win 8 RT and Win 8 pro have the same marketplace and same apps. Win 8 pro can also run software not just apps. Pro means you get te desktop side as well. But the metro side is exactly the same. Also Office has been rewritten as an app for Win 8 and comes wit RT.

Ive been using and am typing this on Win 8 right now. I have whats considered the pro verswion as I have the  desktop side as well. Guess what. Ive barely used the desktop side. Thats why this is the last desktop I'll ever buy.

1 app written will run on all devices and even WP8 with almost no changes.

That's pretty expensive. I don't think it will be much competition for Apple.

I will keep my eye out on this when I upgrade my tablet every year or two. But, truthfully I see android as providing the best stuff for a reasonable price now and in the future. . I really do not see a reason to get too excited just because it is from MS.

@ Soleren I agree Apple's prices are not consumer friendly at all and not admirable.

Are you telling me the application VS spits out can run on all four with one binary? If not can you elaborate on the extent of the differences?

The free version of VS no longer does desktop apps, you have to pay if you want to be able to make one, but it does Metro.

It's way too late to destroy Apple in this market.

In other worrds. All versions of Windows 8 will run all apps from the marketplace. Only certain versions of Windows 8 will have the desktop side. Similar to Windows 7 but different. Of which you will have software programs. All metro apps will run exactly the same no matter what version of Windows 8 you have. Even on an uber powerful desktop.

WP8 will also run thhese apps nearly identically. With very minor code change and probably certain screen size changes to optimize a mobile screen. But the WP8 architecture is already reported as being the same code as Windows 8 Metro.

You will not be able to purchase from the marketplace IE10 software ( desktop version ). For example. Only apps will be available. Which run rather beautifully thanks to metro. Some of the WP7 specifically designed apps are way better than IOS apps. Not the ones thaat are ported from IOS phones, but the ones designed for metro ground up.

Metrotube for example is an unbelievably beautiful and fast youtube which really shows why metro apps done right can be so much more than what apps have  been so far on IOS.