Tablet prices continue to decline

Manufacturers have evidently decided that the best way to compete in the tablet market is to undercut the price tag Apple® has placed on its iPad®. As a result, the next few years should see an influx of more affordable tablet computers.

Apple set a precedent when its $499 iPad hit the market in April 2010. Since that time, other manufacturers have tried to compete by introducing their own tablets around the $500 mark. Degrees of success have varied, but all have come up short.

Some manufacturers have simply ceded and opted to stay out of the tablet market for the time being. But, according to a report from online news provider MediaPost, others are shifting their manufacturing strategies to put out products that come in below the $500 price tag.

One such company is Lenovo® with its IdeaPad® Tablet K1 and IdeaPad Tablet A1, both of which are available for well under $500. Amazon.com™ and Barnes & Noble also made headlines recently with the introduction of their own sub-$500 tablets.

Apple isn't expected to lose its seat on top of the tablet market any time soon. However, analysts do anticipate that its lead will falter as more tablets emerge in the coming years.