Manufacturers slashing prices of Windows RT tablets

Depending on whom you ask, Windows RT — the stripped-down, mobile friendly version of Windows 8 — has either a bright future, or will soon be replaced by the forthcoming Windows Blue. Either way, one thing we do know is that manufacturers who brought out the initial supply of tablets running Windows RT are starting to drop their prices.

A little sleuthing by IDG News Service details that Asus, Dell, and Lenovo have all recently lowered the price tag of these slates. While IDG points to the Asus VivoTab RT being sold by Amazon at just $381, that's actually through Everest Online and fulfilled through Amazon. Nonetheless, its price has dropped $50 (to $549) at places like OfficeDepot and B&H Photo.

Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 convertible tablet is being sold by Amazon for $499, or $599 through Lenovo itself. In comparison, back during last year's Black Friday, this 64GB configuration was on sale through Lenovo for $759.

Finally, Dell is now selling the 32GB version of its XPS 10 starting at $449, which is $50 lower than when it was launched last October.

One company that hasn't budged on its Windows RT tablet pricing is Microsoft, which continues to offer the Surface RT for $499 for the 32GB version. And there are rumors circulating that HTC may rejoin the tablet fray with a Windows RT tablet of its own.

Nonetheless, the price cuts from other manufacturers don't bode particularly well for the new touch-friendly OS. Do they make you more likely to buy a Windows RT tablet? Let us know in the Talkback section below.