Why Microsoft will stick with Windows RT

[h=1]When it comes to Windows RT, Microsoft will be the last man standing[/h]

Despite a near billion-dollar writeoff for the Surface, Microsoft shows no signs of abandoning Windows RT. But the company appears to be alone. When it comes to Windows RT, Microsoft may well be the last man standing

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Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy bluntly told Computerworld:

"Windows RT is challenged. OEM's are not interested in Windows RT."​

Tom Mainelli, an analyst at IDC, warns that Windows 8.1 will make it tougher, not easier for Microsoft to sell RT tablets. RT "continues to be a very hard sell to consumers," he told Computerworld, and then added:

"The upcoming 8.1 update and resulting name change is likely to confuse people even more, since they're calling it Windows RT 8.1."​

So if you want an RT tablet, expect that you'll be buying it from Microsoft. When it comes to RT, the company appears to be an army of one.

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When it comes to Windows RT, Microsoft will be the last man standing | Computerworld Blogs

RT may be fine in tablets and devices, but I think most people want the full Windows 8 in their tablets. A Tablet device that can run Desktop apps? That's a great concept, I wish I could run some of my Mac apps on my iPhone, but that can't be done either. But a Tablet with both the Windows 8 Start Screen AND the desktop? I think people would want that, I would. I may even use the start menu more if I had a tablet device.

I have seen some Surface tablets and they look pretty nice - can't say whether they were Surface Pro or RT, but given that the folks who had them were IT types, I surmise they were Surface Pro.

RT may suit the needs of some, but in the long run I think the general thoght is "if it says Windows it should run regular Windows software" ... which, of course, is not true of RT.

Time will tell, but Microsoft is late to the tablet game and I don't think, short of something truly novel, practical, and appealing (all at a competitve price) they're going to make a major impact.

They're stubborn and ignorant. That's why they will keep it.

They don't like to admit to failure. Now its a question of how much more money do they throw at it to try and make it sell? Eventually they will be almost giving them away. In a way they are too good. Way too pricy for me to want to buy a Microsoft branded device. Don't get me wrong, they have nice specs and looks to be good build quality. I'd rather have a Pro than an RT and it's just overkill for what I'd use it for.

Hi there.

5.5 inch Phablets look absolutely STUPID when you see people making phone calls with these -- probably the most decidedly UNCOOL piece of hardware in my life I've ever seen -- Also I think even the poor deluded users of these stupid things must get tired of the almost universal sniggers they get and total look of "You poor soul -- can't you get a DECENT PHONE.

RT won't make any money on those types of devices.

7 and 8 inch tablets too are TOTALLY impractical for performing any type of serious CONTENT creation work or even a fairly simple spread sheet with say a single pivot table in it.

Wrong tool totally for the wrong job.

READING docs is fine = and already for android KINGSOFT OFFICE works just fine -- you don't need OFFICE RT for accessing OFFICE documents.

Ms BIG FAIL on this one -- doesn't matter what you as CEO think - you CANNOT FIGHT THE MARKET -- look at VHS / BETAMAX -- while one product was demonstrably superior the market chose the other -- same with OS/2 and WINDOWS in the early days, or MINIDISC vs CD - in every way was the Minidisc more convenient, portable etc but the market stuck with the CD.

If your product doesn't make it in a reasonable amount of time - don't keep throwing GOOD money after BAD. It's pretty obvious to all and sundry that RT tablets aren't what the public wants.

There was even a case recently in Gibraltar where the Apes from the Rock who normally steal ANYTHING and EVERYTHING (edible or not) left one victim's RT table alone while they scarpered off with everything else -- even these apes were sensible enough to know the device wasn't worth the extra weight to be added to the booty they had already stolen - obviously VERY INTELLIGENT APES - they knew an RT tablet wasn't worth stealing !!!.

BTW if you visit Gibraltar as a tourist - views from the Rock - magnificent but DO watch out for the apes --they really do TAKE everything unless you secure it down TIGHT - and they can undo loosely tied stuff too.

Cheers
jimbo