Another blow to Windows RT as Samsung backs out

Samsung has announced that they will not try to sell a Windows RT device in the US, and it is unclear whether they will introduce one in other markets either.  Samsung came to the decision based on feedback from their retail partners, who say there is only modest demand for Windows RT, and that it would take too much investment in educating potential customers on the differences between Windows RT and Windows 8.  There were also concerns regarding the hardware for the device, and Samsung decided that they didn't want to have to make sacrifices in features, like available memory, just to meet the lower price point.

For those who may not be familiar with Windows RT, it is a version of Windows 8 which will run on tablets with ARM hardware.  ARM cpus and chipsets are found in many types of portable devices, including phones and tablets.  But Windows RT and ARM hardware are not compatible with older computer programs which run on most Windows systems.  And so, the software available for RT devices is quite limited at the moment.

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Samsung is not the only one to back out of making a Windows RT tablet, as Hewlett-Packard scuttled plans for such a device back in June, saying that their business clients would prefer Intel based equipment running Windows 8.  Toshiba also pulled out in August, saying development problems would have delayed shipment of any RT device.

Even though Samsung has stepped back from Windows RT at the moment, they did say that if there is sufficient demand for an RT tablet in the US market, they would reconsider this decision.  Mike Abary, the Samsung senior vice president who oversees the company's PC and tablet business in the U.S said:  "We want to see how the market develops for RT.  It's not something we're shelving permanently. It's still a viable option for us in the future, but now might not be the right time."

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Its hard to see how the market will develop if no one invests in it to begin with.

You can read the full story at CNET.

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