Lenovo outs Windows RT tablet costs

Windows RT devices will cost up to $US300 ($A285) less than their Windows 8 counterparts, according to Lenovo.

Lenovo’s North American boss David Schmoock told Bloomberg Windows 8 x86-based tablets will retail for $US600 to $US700, while Windows RT tablets will be set at a more “aggressive” price point - up to $US300 cheaper.

Windows RT will be a “very good consumer box”, Schmoock said.

Windows RT is an ARM-optimised version of the Windows 8 operating system, designed for tablets and smartphones.

Lenovo last week unveiled its first Windows 8 product, the ThinkPad tablet 2. The 10in, 9.8mm slate will run on an Intel Atom x86 chip and will launch in October alongside the debut of Microsoft’s next-gen operating system.

"This is the tablet everyone is waiting for," Lenovo’s ThinkPad boss Dilip Bhatia said at the time.

The ThinkPad tablet 2 joins a slew of similar devices expected to emerge when Windows 8 launches in October. HP has made no secret of its plans to launch a Windows 8 tablet, while Microsoft recently announced its own brand of Surface tablets.

The company this week revealed Dell and Samsung would join Lenovo in launching Windows RT products this year, in line with the Windows 8 October launch.

Microsoft is expected to charge tablet manufacturers between $US80 and $US95 for each copy of Windows RT. Multiple vendors at the Computex show in Taiwan earlier this year flagged $US85 as the expected price, according to VR-Zone.

The company this week made its evaluation version of Windows 8 Pro available for a free 90-day trial.

It announced in May that consumers who buy a new Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012, and Jan. 31, 2013, can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $US14.99. In July the company said Windows XP, Vista and 7 users can upgrade to Windows Pro for $US39.99 through Jan. 31, 2013.

Microsoft is also offering discounts to those purchasing a new Windows 7 PC between June 2 this year and January 31 in 2013, with upgrades available for $US14.99.