Microsoft slashes prices on Windows 8.1 tablets, achieves near-parity with Android devices

We’ve known since IDF that Intel intended to put pressure behind Bay Trail’s sales volume by aggressively positioning the tablets across both Windows 8.1 and Android, but it seems Microsoft doesn’t want to be left behind — or undercut. The company has made significant slashes to prices on multiple devices in the Microsoft Store — the 32GB Dell Venue Pro has dropped from $299 to $229, while the 32GB Lenovo Miix 2 and Toshiba Encore (also 32GB tablets) have fallen to $249, from $299.
Dropping the Venue Pro to $229 actually puts Microsoft in the unusual position of going head-to-head against the $229 Google Nexus 7 (2013), but offering twice the storage (32GB versus 16GB). While Windows 8 has been roundly chewed up for offering far less than maximum capacity once the OS and restore files are accounted for, the 32GB Dell Venue 8 will still have 4-6GB more practical storage available than the Nexus 7 device.
The tablets themselves are powered by the Intel Bay Trail Z3740D, the same chip inside the Asus TransformerBook T100. While more expensive, the T100 also sports a larger screen (10.1 inches), a removable dock, and up to 64GB storage). Having used it extensively, I can say that the performance of this solution is surprisingly good — it far outstrips Clover Trail, and the integrated GPU is capable of handling many tablet games.
No, the Venue Pro 8 doesn’t have the Nexus 7′s 1920×1080 screen, but the 8.1-inch display on the Venue Pro still hits a PPI of 186. That’s higher than a conventional desktop monitor, even if it isn’t quite “Retina” quality (though as always, that’s a relative term and depends on viewing distance).

Microsoft is clearly trying to boost the visibility of its own Store (it’s selling the Dell Venue 8 Pro for a lower price than Dell itself). Still, this move also aligns with some of Intel’s priorities. The chip manufacturer has stated that its goal is to dramatically drive new tablet adoptions in 2014 with strong offerings in both the Windows 8 and Android ecosystems. If prices like this stick around, we’ll see Windows selling at head-to-head parity with Android throughout the year, at least at the upper end.