Tablet price cuts abound

In what's sure to be good news to the consumer, price tags for tablet computers seem to be on their way down, with many more affordable models hitting the market and already-established brands simply slashing their prices.

Industry analysts point to several trends that have led to this development. For example, Roger Entner of Recon Analytics asserts that the tablet pricing strategy may have been flawed to begin with.

In an interview with USA Today, Entner says the majority of tablet manufacturers cannot realistically charge $499 for their devices, because they lack the app market and appeal of some more popular brands.

Analyst Avi Greengart of Current Analysis adds that some tablets simply weren't well made and needed to be cut from the manufacturer's inventory. This has led to monumental price cuts on more than one occasion, the most recent being reductions to Research In Motion's BlackBerry® PlayBook.

Experts expect to see further price reductions going forward as some manufacturers bow out of the tablet market and others introduce low-cost devices in order to compete. In fact, some predict that a $100 tablet in the United States may soon be a reality.