With the release of Windows 8, Microsoft partners are expected to a number of WoA (Windows on ARM) tablet devices. The manufacturers are reportedly struggling to get their costs down to a point where these tablets will be able to compete against similar products (such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet and the Apple iPad).
Digitimes indicates that the Windows 8 license fee is the main culprit. According to “Taiwan-based supply chain makers,” it adds between US$90 and US$100 to the cost of manufacuring these devices.
WoA tablet manufacturers are further hampered by the fact that they will not have the ability to fall back on additional revenues generated by post-purchase content sales. For example, Both Amazon and Apple have successful app and media stores that provide new revenue streams after the sale of their devices.
Will WoA tablets find themselves priced out of the competition when they are released?
Read more: Digitimes