Are we seeing the death of Windows RT?

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freitasm

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#126801 20-Jul-2013 10:10

Microsoft has been chastised in the last few days because of poor results and market share of its Windows RT-based device, the Surface RT.

Because the Surface RT is based on ARM processors there's no compatibility with existing Windows software. Companies and individuals buying those devices should've been warned, but can we trust people buying online to actually understand what this means, or can we trust sales people actually explaining this to customers.

The company is slashing the prices in the USA, and so far sold around a million Surface tablets - including both the Windows 8-based Surface Pro and the Windows RT-based surface RT.

The thing is... The Surface Pro is not a bad laptop (and the thin Touch Cover keyboard was a surprise to me in terms of responsiveness), and does a good job as a tablet. The Surface RT is not bad either but the lack of software had all the markings needed to tell the future.

I have always said the company should have its own hardware in the tablet and smartphone spaces. They pushed Windows Phone 8 hard to create a new paradigm in terms of user interface, which then (wrongly) extended into non-touch laptops and (correctly) to touch-based tablets.

What do you think? Microsoft Zune and Microsoft Kin again?

848westcoast

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#862501 20-Jul-2013 10:24

IMHO the Surface RT is a great device. I think it still has a future, but probably more in the 7/8" space, and come Windows 9 it will become the phone OS.

freitasm

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#862502 20-Jul-2013 10:25

You mean like modernised versions of Windows 7 and Windows Embedded?

848westcoast

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#862505 20-Jul-2013 10:34

Microsoft want the same OS on all devices, from $150 phones through to high-end servers. Windows Phone doesn't provide them this. RT will. Come Windows 9, I think they'll 'reboot' the Windows Phone again, making RT the mobile OS for phones/phablets/cheaper tablets. Haswell will provide the desired all-day battery life for
'premium' tablets with full Windows.

Developers then only need to build an app once and it will work on every Microsoft device. That's the uber outcome that Microsoft are seeking.

freitasm

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#862507 20-Jul-2013 10:36

848westcoast: Developers then only need to build an app once and it will work on every Microsoft device. That's the uber outcome that Microsoft are seeking.

But today Windows RT apps don't run on Windows 8 and vice-versa. Making Windows RT their "mobile OS" won't change this. also Windows RT is an ARM-based OS. Hard to get that on Haswell.

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#862510 20-Jul-2013 10:51

freitasm:
But today Windows RT apps don't run on Windows 8 and vice-versa. Making Windows RT their "mobile OS" won't change this.

Is that not what packaging an app with Architecture set to "Neutral" allows?

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848westcoast

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#862511 20-Jul-2013 10:59

My point about Haswell wasn't that RT would be running on Haswell, but that full Windows running on Haswell will give the type of battery life that can currently only be achieved running RT on ARM, however this will be at the premium end of the tablet market given price.

Apps that run on RT not Windows 8? I'm not aware of such a thing?

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#862512 20-Jul-2013 11:03

Neutral is ok for managed code, but for native code you have to create a release for each platform.

As for "apps" running in one platform or another, I am talking about non-managed code.

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#862529 20-Jul-2013 12:11

I know some people who bought a store advertised Windows 8 RT tablet then expect them to run Windows 7 and Windows 8 programs/apps. Not sure what the answer is. Windows phone 8 compatible / interchangeable with Windows RT would be good. But in saying that, I have a Samsung Windows 8 tablet running full 32 bit Windows 8 and I absolutely love it for tablet use and watching quickflix on it. Excellent battery life as well.
There is a market for full Windows 8 tablets but how can we have that and still have a Windows RT tablet that cannot cause confusion for Joe Public.

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#862730 20-Jul-2013 20:08

I like my RT. The limitations don't bother me, because I know abut them. Adding full outlook client in 8.1 makes it a viable desktop replacement in a lot of ways, especially teamed with Citrix published apps.

I do think that RT and Phone8 should have been the same thing, explains the limitations while allowing 'convergence'.

Its not too late though, still a good chance for MSFT to do well in the 'lightweight' tablet segment.

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