Bangalore: Microsoft has slashed the price of its entry level tablet, Surface RT, by as much as 30 percent. The decision came in wake of the sluggish sales of the device, reports Economic Times.

On Monday, the surface RT tablet was being sold for as low as $349 in U.S. on the Microsoft website, down from the introductory price of $499. In U.K., where the tablet is to cost £400 is now up for grab at £280. These price cuts are active immediately on Microsoft’s online stores, and at retailers such as Best Buy and Staples in the U.S., and John Lewis and PC World in the UK.

The move comes amid a price war of the tablets where flood of new ones arriving in the market with competitive prices. Also the companies like Amazon, slashed prices of its Kindle HD tablets to as low as $169 in the US and 139 pounds in Britain, while Barnes & Noble has cut the price of its Nook to as low as $129, and has announced plans to outsource production of its tablets.

Microsoft introduced the tablet at the premium price and promoted it as an alternate for PC with detachable key board. But according to the research firm IDC survey, the company just managed to get 900,000 units sold in the first quarter in the global market which noticed 49 million units of tablet sales.  

Previously, the company had offered tablet at a low price of $199 for the educational buyers.

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