14 DAY TRIAL // Things aren’t going very well for Windows RT, Microsoft’s new operating system developed specifically for tablets equipped with ARM chips.
Sales have so far been pretty disappointing, so several large companies decided to completely abandon the product and focus either on the full version of Windows 8 or switch to Android.
Microsoft, on the other hand, seems really keen to continue development of Windows RT, so the company has promised to release even more ARM-based devices in the coming months.
A spokesman told CNET in a short interview that the Redmond-based tech giant is already working on some new ARM units, despite the fact that some other manufacturers have already abandoned the platform.
“Windows remains committed to the ARM platform,” the spokesperson said. “We are looking forward to new ARM-based Windows devices that will launch later this year.”
Microsoft is believed to be working on the second-generation Surface tablet that should be here by the holiday season and also bring an 8-inch unit to compete with the iPad mini and Nexus 7.
While the company hasn’t talked too much about this project, it appears that the Softies are currently collaborating with both Nvidia and Qualcomm on the new Surface, as they plan to make the device not only more advanced when it comes to hardware, but also a lot more affordable.
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huan said recently that the future Surface tablet would be a much more appealing product, especially because it’ll also feature the new Outlook RT specifically designed for Windows RT.
“It is the killer app for Windows. Now we're going to bring it with the second-generation Surface. We're working really hard on it, and we hope that it's going to be a big success,” he said.
Previous reports suggested that the new Surface RT should be here by October, with pricing for the small model to start at approximately $250 (€210).