Microsoft's new Windows RT tablets will cost up to$300(£191)less than their Windows 8 counterparts,PC maker Lenovo has said.
Microsoft will launch its latest operating system on 26 October and in order to gain traction in the increasingly popular tablet market,it has incorporated a new touch-screen interface.The company described the update as its most important in more than a decade.
It will release two versions of the operating system;Windows 8,which runs on chips made by Intel and AMD,and Windows RT,which runs on ARM chips.
David Schmoock,head of Lenovo's North America operations told Bloomberg that the RT tablets would cost significantly less than their Intel-based counterparts as they will be targeting consumers.
He said that they would retail at"very aggressive price points",while Windows 8 tablets would cost$600(£381)to$700(£445),according to Schmoock.
The North America operations head said that enterprises would be more attracted to the concept of Windows 8 as it has more compatibility with other Windows software while Windows RT would be a"very good"consumer tool.
The launch of Windows 8 will coincide with the launch of Windows Phone 8,the Surface Microsoft tablet,ultrabooks from vendors such as Acer,and Windows Phone 8 smartphones manufactured by Nokia.
Earlier this week,Microsoft rebranded its Metro interface for the Windows 8 platform as"Modern UI".The software giant was forced to scrap the name as its European partner Metro AG owns the"Metro"trademark.
