ASUS disappointed with Windows RT
Asus’s Jonney Shih has made some crazy bets over the years — teeny-tiny laptops, phones that turn into tablets, and even a seven-inch tablet that can be held to the ear to make phone calls. shih1 But, so far, the only bet that Shih said hasn’t panned out was the company’s move to build products based on Windows RT, the slimmed-down version of Windows 8 that runs on ARM-based processors. Asus is pulling back on Windows RT, Chairman Says.
“The result is not very promising,” the Asus chairman told AllThingsD, noting both Microsoft’s well-publicized issues with the Surface RT as well as Asus’s own VivoTab RT.
While not completely ruling out future Windows RT products, Shih said that, when it comes to Windows, he is putting all of his time and energy into devices that use Intel chips.
People still use a lot of classic Windows apps, Shih said.
Microsoft made other mistakes too, he said, noting that one of the most popular apps for Windows 8 is a program to bring back the classic Start menu. (With Windows 8.1, Microsoft is itself bringing back the Start button to the Windows desktop.)
But Shih isn’t giving up on Windows products. The company recently introduced the Transformer Book Trio, which runs both Windows and Android, and the company is evaluating building smaller 10-inch and eight-inch Windows tablets.
“My personal opinion is the 10-inch may make more sense,” Shih said.
Senior Member
Posts: 6814
Joined: 2006-01-18
Windows RT is a bastard child that should never have existed in the first place. They should have bundled a full fledged Windows with basic office and an Atom CPU for the low end Surface. Sure, user experience wouldn't be great, but it would be a damn sight better than the Tegra 3 combined with a Windows that can't run Windows programs nonsense. Not to mention the fact that it just added to consumer confusion.
Microsoft needs to drop Windows RT and offer a refund to those that bought it. Sure, it will be a hit, but a rather minor one considering the bad press, consumer confusion and partner dissatisfaction. With Bay Trail right around the corner, now is the time to do it.
That, and drop the 32-bit Windows once and for all. For gods sakes, nearly every CPU shipped in the last 7 and a half years has been 64-bit bar Atom (which doesn't even really matter at this point, no one upgrades a Netbook OS). Nip 32-bit in the bud and lets move on already.
Senior Member
Posts: 658
Joined: 2006-05-26
Windows RT is a bastard child that should never have existed in the first place. They should have bundled a full fledged Windows with basic office and an Atom CPU for the low end Surface. Sure, user experience wouldn't be great, but it would be a damn sight better than the Tegra 3 combined with a Windows that can't run Windows programs nonsense. Not to mention the fact that it just added to consumer confusion.
Microsoft needs to drop Windows RT and offer a refund to those that bought it. Sure, it will be a hit, but a rather minor one considering the bad press, consumer confusion and partner dissatisfaction. With Bay Trail right around the corner, now is the time to do it.
That, and drop the 32-bit Windows once and for all. For gods sakes, nearly every CPU shipped in the last 7 and a half years has been 64-bit bar Atom (which doesn't even really matter at this point, no one upgrades a Netbook OS). Nip 32-bit in the bud and lets move on already.
Microsoft has so much bad press, i don't think they can be considered worse than they are.
Senior Member
Posts: 16115
Joined: 2004-08-18
Microsoft simply don't seem to be able to do anything right at the moment and that even extends to their Xbox One console, which they seem to change their policies on on a daily basis following its poorly received unveiling a couple of months back. And what a really dumb name too from a company that shied away from calling their Xbox 360 the Xbox 2 because they felt people would think it was inferior to the PS3! Add in Zune, Windows 8, Windows Surface, Games for Windows LIVE, all relative failures that you have to wonder what is going on with Microsoft. Bad management and a failure to understand the market? Or are Microsoft trying a bit too hard to be the next Apple? Let's face it Apple are cool, Microsoft are not and probably never will be at the rate they're going. I think that is why I think they're strugging in markets outside of traditional Windows (and even that business isn't doing so great now).
Personally, I think Windows 8 is fine but only because of the third-party Start8 app I use. Without that, I think I would have gone back to Windows 7 within a few weeks as the Modern UI is a mess of simplistic, barebones apps and inconsistent design which feels horribly jarring when switching between those and the superior desktop version of the app. The Start screen really should have been an option but then if it had been then there would have been no real reason to upgrade to Windows 8. I mean I only bought it because it was cheap to do so (£40).
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Posts: 127
Joined: 2009-02-12
Actually I'm changing my opinion since I've been forced to use Win8 at my job, since that day I actually update my home PC to Win8 to. One of the best features I found and convinced me to use it is the search feature, witch is very well done (congrats to MS), This is the only thing I use the Metro UI, but made a shortcut do direct use with this path:
"C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:::{2559a1f8-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}"
Google search you can even put a fancy icon.
Combined that with the WinKey+X and I'm done no need for the start button.
With the search feature, I practically have no icons on desktop because is so more fast to do a search than actually find the shortcut.
The direct ISO mount to virtual CD drive, nice no need for 3rd party software.
I think people must use it first and then make their opinions, sure I don´t like to start with the Metro in my face, but this will be addressed as Win8.1 is out.
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Posts: 11835
Joined: 2011-12-31
Who isn't disappointed by Windows RT and even 8 in general? Asus and I believe Lenovo are even making hybrids with Windows 8 in traditional laptop mode and Android for the tablet mode .. says a lot.