The tablet market is booming. Some analysts are predicting that in just a few years more tablets will be sold than desktop PCs. Nor is it just the iPad that’s selling?

Certain android tablets are beginning to make a splash as well. But with more and more tablets being sold, consumers are more eager than ever to get the best deal.

In this article, we’ll consider whether and how it’s possible to get a quality tablet for an affordable price.

iPad

Let’s start with the iPad – the world’s most popular tablet. On one hand, 3 million new iPads were sold in the first weekend, on the other hand, there were some consumers who complained about the price, which starts at $499 for the 16GB version.

What to do? Users who have their heart set on an iPad but don’t want to fork out $500 have one other option – buy iPad 2 slates instead. Many stores (including Walmart, Best Buy and the Apple store itself) now offer the 16GB iPad 2 for $399 – a hundred dollars less than the Retina-equipped new model.

If you really want to save money, you may even consider getting a used model – many of these can be found at Amazon in almost perfect condition.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire

The good news, though, is that the iPad is not the only quality tablet on the market right now. And if you look outside Apple, you’ll begin to notice a number of lower-price alternatives. Perhaps the best of these at the moment is Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

Like the iPad, the Kindle Fire provides a fast browser and full-color experience whilst allowing you to watch videos and consume content in a highly satisfying manner.

And, significantly, the Kindle Fire is $300 cheaper than the new iPad. If you’re looking for a quality tablet for an affordable price, the Kindle Fire is arguably your best bet. (Gadget fans who wish to compare the Kindle Fire with the iPad can read more here).

Google and Microsoft set to Launch their Tablets

But what if you don’t want to go with Apple or Amazon? Well, if you want to stay within the realm of tech giants, you may wish to wait for Microsoft and Google, both of whom are said to be launching an alternative to the iPad.

Their tablets – set for release later this year – will (reportedly) be at least a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than the new iPad. How cheap will they be exactly? It seems nobody is sure. Initially, there was speculation that the Google tablet would cost just $149, making it even more affordable than the Kindle Fire.

However, recent reports suggest that Google may be forced to sell their tablet for the same price as Amazon’s tablet, given the cost of production. In any case, consumers can hope to get their hands on it later in the summer.

Tablet from Microsoft

What about Microsoft? Their plan is apparently to release a number of Windows 8 based tablets later in the year as well. It seems that like Google, Microsoft wishes to make tablets more affordable by selling the Windows 8 models for less than $300.

However, it is currently rather difficult to say exactly what these tablets will be like. Some commentators have questioned whether they can really be of the highest-quality, given the inevitable restrictions on screen-size and resolution.

For one of the trade-offs of a lower-price tablet is a smaller screen and (potentially) a lower-quality display.

In short, we can see that more and more companies are seeking to offer high-quality tablets at an affordable price.

For die-hard Apple fans, one way to save money is to invest in an iPad 2. Those who wish to cut costs even further would do well to consider Amazon’s Kindle Fire (the current king of Android tablets).

It remains to be seen whether Google and Microsoft can offer viable alternatives to the iPad and Fire whilst selling their tablets for less than $300.

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Microsoft has undoubtedly been one of the frontrunners of developmental technology. Yet the classics such as Microsoft office have remained one of the most dependable software packages throughout its inception.

With the latest wave of tablets and smart phone launches, it has become even more essential for the company to consider re-inventing Microsoft office suite in a version compatible with the latest gadget trends.

While there had been rumors of discussions and progress in developments for Microsoft office app for iPad, it seems the news is now more concrete than ever.

Here are the final details to what user can expect of the app and what other areas Microsoft will consider addressing to get with the current technological wave.

Interface specifications and expectations

Recently, credible sources have confirmed that the project is complete and ready to be launched. Some of the prototype users have shared their experiences, which leads to the following points:

• The user interface has been simplified for a faster approach on iPad. The interface now resembles the Microsoft OneNote app. However, there are some clear differences in the features.
• The app clearly supports Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents (including, opening, editing, and creating new documents). However, there is no news regarding the inclusion of any others of the application software from the original office suite.
• There is a clear absence of a launch of an android version for the Microsoft office app; however, there are no relevant plans for the near future.
• The rumors do state that there is quite a rush to launch the Microsoft office app on iPad and it might even trump the launch of the app for ARM powered tablets (Windows 8 OS support).

Launch astuteness and competition

There have been quite a lot of speculations on the delay in developing the app in the first place. Considering there is quite a host of alternative apps to Microsoft office suites, ready and performing on iPad (iWord, SlideShark).

In the face of this competition, there have continuous analysis on the advisability of the development and launch for this niche market (iPad).

However, analysts have also presented the argument of making more options available for the users and the claim of common platforms for the users on both their desktops as well as iPads.

This will provide them with the option of streaming their desktop Windows OS screen onto their iPads (optional with Onlive Desktop app).

The financial point of view

The development of the app has been looked  as a strong financial move. It is claimed to be a logical extension of the existing series strategy (Microsoft office version for MAC already exists!).

The development of the app has been undertaken after extensive market research and the analysis is there is a good percentage of iPad buyers’ niche who has foregone their decision to purchase the device based on the unavailability of the Microsoft office support.

The sources claim that any delays in the launch will only risk their losing more potential customers to the competition in the tablet and smart phone options.

Ultimately, the users will be the final judge and jury of the success of the strategy. In the meantime, the challenge has been set and the official launch has been scheduled for a very recent date.