A word (or two) about Windows RT

A word about Windows RT. I am tired of hearing people complain it will not run x86 applications. You know what, I have owned 4 different tablet PC’s over the years, two with Windows XP and two with Windows 7. With Wacom digitizers. These devices failed miserably. At one point, one of those online magazines, maybe CNET, declared officially tablet PC’s to be dead! Why did they fail? Because standard x86 software is NOT touch friendly. Even on my 13 inch tablet it was hard to read the text, hard to press the X button and the minimize button and choose menus and choose options on those menus and hard to press the Windows button and hard to read and choose items on the Start menu. Windows x86 was NEVER designed to be touch friendly. Never.

Windows RT is what everyone wants and no one knows it. Why do I say this? It is the same as the IPad and Android tablets that make up, what…93% of the market right now? Same is not a fair word. It is superior in many, MANY ways to both the Android and IPad tablets. Over 90% of tablets out there don’t run x86 applications either. They are TOUCH friendly and run software that is TOUCH based. Just like the apps in the Microsoft Store for Windows RT. Windows RT is better because it magnificently handles multi-tasking, you can out 2 or 3 different apps on the screen at the same time, there are no hidden folders or partitions that you have to “root” the device to get to simply to uninstall unwanted programs. It has a nearly full version of Office. It has IE 11 which renders websites better than any Android of IPad browser. It has Enterprise support. And the list goes on.

When I bought my Asus Vivotab RT, I also bought the keyboard dock which converts my tablet into a netbook. This keyboard has been used twice in the two months I have had my Vivotab. My Vivotab, running Windows RT 8.1, replaced my Android tablet. It was never meant to replace my laptop or my I5 quad core gaming desktop. I use it as a tablet and not as a desktop. It meets and serves my needs. I wouldn’t want to run x86 applications on it. At times, I connect to my desktop using TeamViewer on my tablet and you what, THEN I need to connect a mouse and a keyboard to my tablet to be able to use TeamViewer in any meaningful way. Because I am launching x86 apps on my desktop and interacting with them on my RT tablet. I am then using my Windows RT as a laptop. I don’t do this often so when I need to it’s not a big deal.

If you want your tablet to replace your laptop, then by all means, get a Windows 8 Pro tablet. I bought my Windows RT to replace my Android tablet. Which it does a great job of. If you want to carry around a mouse with you to be able to use x86 apps on your tablet, why not get a netbook or a laptop.

I also wanted to add that Windows RT, when compared to Android and Ipad, supports A LOT more hardware. I can print to most printers. I have an ASIX AX8817 based USB ethernet adapter that Windows RT has a driver for. I have several bluetooth devices that pair right up with my Windows RT device with no issues. Direct USB and MicroSD support. And, it has a desktop environment I am familiar with when I do want to attach a keyboard and mouse to do things in Internet Explorer. What's not to like about Windows RT when compared to Android and IPad?