Want to explore the App Store's endless possibilities? This iPad deal from Amazon & Walmart is the cheapest way right now.

If you ask any Apple fan what they like most about the tech giant's products, there's a good chance the word "ecosystem" will come up.

Apple's ownership of its hardware and software "stacks" means the two can be closely intertwined throughout the Mac, iPad, iPhone, and even the Apple Watch.

The trouble is, getting started can be expensive - Apple products carry a premium. Thankfully, you can get Apple's cheapest iPad at a $60 discount to make that a little easier to swallow.

Both Amazon and Walmart are offering the ninth-generation iPad for just $269, and while we've seen it cheaper in months gone by, this is still a great way to get access to the App Store and iPadOS.

iPad (9th Generation) - was $329, <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=74387&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2F2021-Apple-10-2-inch-iPad-Wi-Fi%2Fdp%2FB09G9CJM1Z%2F%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">now $269 at Amazon

Save $60 on the iPad (Ninth Generation) and get into the Apple ecosystem for even less. The same deal is also live at <a href="https://goto.walmart.com/c/1943169/565706/9383?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2F2021-Apple-10-2-inch-iPad-Wi-Fi-64GB-Space-Gray-9th-Generation%2F483978365" data-link-merchant="walmart.com"" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Walmart.

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iPad (9th Generation) - was $479, <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=74387&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2F2021-Apple-10-2-inch-iPad-Wi-Fi%2Fdp%2FB09G91TLNJ%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">now $399 at Amazon

Save $80 on the ninth-generation iPad, now with a much more substantial 256GB of storage. Again, the same deal is also available at <a href="https://goto.walmart.com/c/1943169/565706/9383?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2F2021-Apple-10-2-inch-iPad-Wi-Fi-64GB-Space-Gray-9th-Generation%2F870975735" data-link-merchant="walmart.com"" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Walmart.

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While there is a tenth generation out now, it's arguably a tougher value proposition because it saw such an increase in price.

Apple even kept the ninth-generation version around at the iPad's base $329 price point, and as you'd imagine, that means it can tackle anything the App Store can throw at it -- even with an older processor.

It'll still run the latest iPadOS 16 update, and while we'd have liked more storage than the base 64GB, you can save $80 on the larger version with a much more reasonable 256GB of internal storage.

Whichever model you pick up, you'll get access to iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Music, and iCloud -- all Apple services you won't get on competitors' devices.

When we reviewed the tablet in our iPad (9th Gen) review, we noted it's not the most modern tablet but that it's a great value even at $329, and it's ideal for Apple newcomers.

We said: "If you want an inexpensive tablet, the iPad 2021 is the easiest way to get up to plunge into the Apple ecosystem. It’s fast, and while its design isn’t the freshest around, it’ll undoubtedly appeal to those not looking to learn a variety of gestures."