That's a perfectly legitimate question to ask, and Christmas was one big A-B test as to what tablet proposition people actually want. However, what does it tell you if someone says 'I want to save $100 and get the cheap-looking one with no apps'? Are they a good target for any publisher or developer? This is at the root of the staggeringly low engagement on Android tablets that all publishers report - under 5% of what they see on the iPad: self-selection by the users. People who buy cheap tablets are effectively declaring that they value the saving over the apps.
There will always be some piece of the market for consumers that have very little expectations and needs from a device. But for everyone else, there is so much more to consider.
The question should never be limited to "which smartphone/tablet/computer has the best specs and price right now?" The real question is:
Which platform/ecosystem has the best future to invest in?