- Jul 25, 2011
- 1,432
- 142
- 106
Tom's Hardware had a little article on Asus dropping Windows RT in favor of Intel based Windows 8, and I can't help but contemplate a little that maybe the eventual death of Windows RT will actually be the best thing that happened for Microsoft?
Source - http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Windows-RT-Asus-VivoTab-RT-Support,23847.html
I had the chance to really use a Surface RT tablet for a few days after one of my co-workers left hers at work. She didn't want it to get stolen by the cleaning crew, so she asked me to bring it home with me instead. I asked if I could check it out for a little while and she was fine, so, I did!
Needless to say, having used an iPad extensively, I have to say that the Surface RT tablet is one fine, fine piece of hardware. The UI is very smooth. The screen is actually quite nice. It definitely feels very well built. The battery life isn't spectacular, but after using an iPad 2, that's pretty hard to beat anyways. Everything was very smooth, very quick, and even video Flash playback was absolutely flawless (even at 1080p...and yes I know the screen is nowhere near 1080p...it was just that smooth).
But my favorite thing to do is watch Starcraft 2 matches, and as I proceeded to the app store to download the TwitchTV app, I realized the #1 glaring flaw of the Windows RT platform. Where are the apps man? I was able to get around this simply by going online and streaming through the browser (something the Windows RT tablet does phenomenally better than the iPad 2 or even the first gen Kindle Fire), but I couldn't help by notice the glaring lack of applications to choose from. I mean, they were there, but I didn't see anything that really popped out at me. As a generalization, it was like having to wait for someone to make a third party app just to get on Facebook.
So I have to ask, why would Microsoft go on to develop something that goes against the last 25 years of work they've strived so hard to build? The entire concept of using Windows for any program application of your choosing is no different than going to the iTunes or the Google Play store to download an application. They're the ecosystems of the product, and without them, regardless of the internals and the hardware inside, they might as well be paperweights. It's like Microsoft came into the tablet world without limbs, teeth, or hair to defend themselves with.
I get that you can't run Windows 8 (x86) on ARM chips, but ironically after almost exactly a year after its introduction, the hardware to support a high grade, high quality tablets like the Surface RT/Pro is now available.
When I read this article and Asus coming out saying they're dropping support for Windows RT, I can't help but feel that it's really the best thing for Microsoft in the long run. Whether we like it or not, Windows is already the #1 application ecosystem in the world. Stop trying to reinvent that and make a product that provides a unique experience in utilizing that. Windows 8 may not be the greatest desktop OS ever made in terms of user experience, but it's a fantastic tablet/touchscreen OS for sure.
In closing, I hope the third generation of Surface tablets drop the Windows RT system entirely in favor of x86 hardware. Silvermont Atom cores or AMD Temash 2.0 could satisfy the low end, while Haswell could dominate the Surface Pro sales. As long as Microsoft focuses on incorporating it's ecosystem strength into the tablet's design, it should no doubt be a really great product.
Source - http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Windows-RT-Asus-VivoTab-RT-Support,23847.html
I had the chance to really use a Surface RT tablet for a few days after one of my co-workers left hers at work. She didn't want it to get stolen by the cleaning crew, so she asked me to bring it home with me instead. I asked if I could check it out for a little while and she was fine, so, I did!
Needless to say, having used an iPad extensively, I have to say that the Surface RT tablet is one fine, fine piece of hardware. The UI is very smooth. The screen is actually quite nice. It definitely feels very well built. The battery life isn't spectacular, but after using an iPad 2, that's pretty hard to beat anyways. Everything was very smooth, very quick, and even video Flash playback was absolutely flawless (even at 1080p...and yes I know the screen is nowhere near 1080p...it was just that smooth).
But my favorite thing to do is watch Starcraft 2 matches, and as I proceeded to the app store to download the TwitchTV app, I realized the #1 glaring flaw of the Windows RT platform. Where are the apps man? I was able to get around this simply by going online and streaming through the browser (something the Windows RT tablet does phenomenally better than the iPad 2 or even the first gen Kindle Fire), but I couldn't help by notice the glaring lack of applications to choose from. I mean, they were there, but I didn't see anything that really popped out at me. As a generalization, it was like having to wait for someone to make a third party app just to get on Facebook.
So I have to ask, why would Microsoft go on to develop something that goes against the last 25 years of work they've strived so hard to build? The entire concept of using Windows for any program application of your choosing is no different than going to the iTunes or the Google Play store to download an application. They're the ecosystems of the product, and without them, regardless of the internals and the hardware inside, they might as well be paperweights. It's like Microsoft came into the tablet world without limbs, teeth, or hair to defend themselves with.
I get that you can't run Windows 8 (x86) on ARM chips, but ironically after almost exactly a year after its introduction, the hardware to support a high grade, high quality tablets like the Surface RT/Pro is now available.
When I read this article and Asus coming out saying they're dropping support for Windows RT, I can't help but feel that it's really the best thing for Microsoft in the long run. Whether we like it or not, Windows is already the #1 application ecosystem in the world. Stop trying to reinvent that and make a product that provides a unique experience in utilizing that. Windows 8 may not be the greatest desktop OS ever made in terms of user experience, but it's a fantastic tablet/touchscreen OS for sure.
In closing, I hope the third generation of Surface tablets drop the Windows RT system entirely in favor of x86 hardware. Silvermont Atom cores or AMD Temash 2.0 could satisfy the low end, while Haswell could dominate the Surface Pro sales. As long as Microsoft focuses on incorporating it's ecosystem strength into the tablet's design, it should no doubt be a really great product.
Facebook
Twitter