An exercise in pointlessness
Intel’s upcoming Medfield platform has created quite a lot of buzz at CES, but it seems upcoming Intel tablets could come with a rather hefty price tag that could make consumers think twice.
Citing notebook vendors, Digitimes is reporting that Clover Trail-W tablets might see prices in the $599 to $899 range, making them pretty costly compared to ARM-based Android tablets and even Apple’s iPad.
Of course, Intel will probably brag about x86 compatibility and superior Windows 8 performance, but $899 is basically ultrabook money and we at this point we don’t see many takers. The market has already demonstrated a lack of interest in pricey non-Apple tablets, so the best selling ARMdroid is Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which sells for just $199.
Intel and Microsoft seem unwilling or unable to offer chips and OS at lower prices, so it seems highly unlikely that first generation Intel tablets will manage do undercut ARM tablets, both from the Android and Apple clubs.
More here.
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Notebooks