Buy the 9.7-inch iPad for up to $74 off at Amazon today

Apple’s scrappy 9.7-inch iPad is one of the best tablets you can get right now, and today you can get it on Amazon for anywhere from $49 to $74 off. The retailer was last selling it for these prices in early January.

In the case of the entry-level 32GB model with Wi-Fi, this discount allows you to pick it up for $279.99, down $49.01 from the normal price of $329.99. As for the 128GB model, you can get it for $354.99, down $74.01 from the normal retail price of $429.00.

Put another way, you’re getting the 128GB model for close to the retail price of the 32GB unit. That’s a massive boost in storage space, so go with the roomier model if you’re planning to play a lot of games or downloadmovies.

This tablet is a smarter buy than an iPad Pro for a lot of people. It’s powerful enough to run almost all the apps that can run on the Pros with little trouble, and the latest model even supports the first-generation Apple Pencil (which, alas, you’ll have to buy separately). The main features you’ll miss out on are the iPad Pro’s laminated screen and faster display refresh rate, but I wouldn’t say these are essentials unless you plan on using your tablet for professional artist work. And if you are, by all means, buy an iPad Pro.

But this little device will certainly go the distance. As I said in my review, “for a general-purpose tablet for school, business, or pleasure, it currently doesn’t get any better than this.”