While stores like Target and Walmart were trying to outduel each other with the best iPad deals during the recent holiday season, things had been quiet on that front in the new year. But that's changed in the last couple of days, with these two retailers offering new iPad specials they hope will provide a quick sales boost.

Target's deal is more pedestrian, and also lasts for a shorter duration. Starting tomorrow (February 9), it's offering a $50 gift card with the purchase of a 16GB iPad Air or Retina iPad mini (or iPhone 5s) through the next week (February 15). That's obviously not as good as an actual price cut, but if you shop frequently at Target (and obviously many do ), it's a useful perk.

Walmart has slightly more intriguing offers. It's providing an outright price cut -- or rollback, in Walmart parlance -- on the iPad 2, which will now cost $299 through March 7. Note, however, this is an in-store deal only.

Of course, the iPad 2 is a three-year-old tablet, and, at $299, is still priced higher than many new full-size slates. But if you have to have an iPad and don't mind buying an older model, this could be as good as it gets for the next month.

You can pay even less if you have another iPad (presumably a first-generation one) to trade in. Walmart says it's also offering at least $100 trade-in credit for any working iPad, though this doesn't currently seem to be reflected on its online trade-in service.

Are either of these deals going to motivate you to buy a new iPad? If not, what price would you pay for an iPad 2 in 2014? Let us know in the Talkback section below.