Earlier this week, Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer announced the first pricing details for the company’s Windows 8 tablet. The Surface tablet will sell for between $300 and $700-$800 depending on the features and operating system — Windows RT or Windows 8 Pro. Ballmer noted that Microsoft wasn’t looking to compete with Google (GOOG) and Amazon (AMZN) in the low-price market, although other manufacturers may. According to an alleged product roadmap obtained by ZDNet, ASUS’ (2357) tablets will be even more expensive than Microsoft’s devices. The Taiwanese manufacturer is planning to launch three new Windows 8 tablets this holiday season for $599, $799 and $1,299, respectively.
The cheapest of the three, the Vivo Tab RT, is equipped with a 10.1-inch Super IPS+ display and a Tegra 3 quad-core processor, while the slightly bigger Vivo Tab features an 11.6-inch Super IPS+ display and an Atom Z2760 processor. Both tablets are compatible with ASUS’ keyboard dock, which is offered for an additional $199. Lastly, there is the notebook-tablet hybrid ASUS Taichi, which features an 11.6-inch Full HD display and carries the hefty price of $1,299.
It is unclear what ASUS will do to entice consumers to purchase its tablets over the iPad or lower priced Windows 8 laptops.
