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Best tablet deals: Grab a 4G iPad Air for $229 under Apple's price

Find great bargains on tablets--Apple iPad Air, Microsoft Surface 2, HP Stream 7, and more.

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Darley Shen/Reuters/File
An Apple 4G iPad is one of the deals available this week, along with tablets by Lenovo, HP, and Microsoft.

Whether you're searching for your first slate or looking to upgrade an old one, you'll find a nice mix of iPad, Windows, and Android in this week's roundup of the best tablet deals. And with prices starting at just $79, you're sure to find the tablet of your dreams no matter your budget.

Apple iPad Air WiFi + 4G Tablet for T-Mobile or Verizon
Store: Fry's Electronics
Price: $299.99 with in-store pickup
Lowest By: $229

Is It Worth It?: If you're tired of your tablet being tied down by WiFi, this Editors' Choice offer has everything you need. In-store only and with activation of a 2-year contract, Fry's offers the Apple iPad Air for T-Mobile or Verizon in Space Gray for just $300 — that's $229 under Apple's price!

The iPad Air features a 9.7" 2048x1536 Retina display, an Apple A7 64-bit processor with an M7 motion coprocessor, 16GB of internal storage, a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD front camera, a 5-megapixel iSight rear camera, 1080p video capture, 802.11a/n wireless with MIMO, 4G access, and Bluetooth 4.0.

Refurbished Microsoft Surface 2 RT Windows Tablet
Store: JemJem
Price: $229 with free shipping
Lowest By: $101

Is It Worth It?: With Windows RT, Microsoft tried out a pared-down version of its OS that many critics hated. Nevertheless, the Surface 2 tablet offers the best possible RT experience in a pleasantly polished package. Right now you can grab this tablet refurbished for $229, which is $101 under the price of a new unit.

Features include an NVIDIA Tegra 4 T30 1.9GHz quad-core processor, a 10.6" 1920x1080 multitouch LCD, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, front- and rear-facing cameras, and Windows RT 8.1 OS. A 90-day JemJem warranty applies.

HP Stream 7 Windows Tablet with a $25 Windows Store Gift Card
Store: Microsoft Store
Price: $79 in-cart with free shipping
Lowest By: $45

Is It Worth It?: Looking for the full Windows experience? Assuming you'll use the bundled gift card, this Editors' Choice bundle is a massive $45 savings. This HP Stream 7 tablet is an especially attractive deal if you despise bloatware, as Microsoft Signature Edition devices feature a clean operating system without any pre-loaded third-party trialware. (Click here to learn more.)

The Stream 7 sports an Intel Atom Z3735G 1.33GHz Bay Trail quad-core processor, a 7" 1280x800 touchscreen, 1GB of RAM, a 32GB eMMC, 802.11n wireless, front and rear cameras, Microsoft Office 365 Personal for Windows, and Windows 8.1. The gift card can be used on apps, games, movies, and music.

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro Android Tablet
Store: Lenovo
Price: $439.99 with free shipping
Lowest By: $60
Expires: March 20

Is It Worth It?: The Yoga 2 Pro is Lenovo's attempt to wrestle away Microsoft's claim to the working tablets. Boasting a business-friendly built-in projector and adaptable 4-mode design, this huge 13" tablet is definitely worth checking out. Through today, it's $60 off and tied as the lowest price we've seen.

Features include an Intel Atom Z3745 1.33GHz quad-core processor, a 13.3" 2560x1440 IPS display, 2GB of RAM, a 32GB eMMC, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1.6-megapixel front camera, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, and Android 4.4 (Kit Kat).

Lenovo A7 Android Tablet with JBL In-Ear Headphones and a Samsonite Folio Case
Store: Lenovo
Price: $89.99 via coupon code "USPA7BDL319" with free shipping
Lowest By: $60
Expires: April 1

Is It Worth It?: Lenovo's A7 tablet isn't the flashiest Android on the market, but it's hard to pass up this Editors' Choice bundle. After the coupon above, just $90 scores you the tablet, a pair of earbuds, and a case. That's a $60 savings and a $5 drop from our previous mention.

The tablet features an MTK 8121 Cortex A7 1.3GHz quad-core processor, a 7" 1280x800 IPS display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of flash storage, 2-megapixel camera, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0, and Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).

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