Microsoft is hoping that a cut in the price of Windows RT software to hardware vendors will help promote manufacture and growth of the platform. “People with knowledge of the matter” talking to Bloomberg said the price cut would be aimed at “small-sized” Windows RT devices. Also in Windows RT related news today Qualcomm has announced that its Snapdragon 800 SoC will “be featured in upcoming Windows 8.1 RT computers”. Perhaps it’s behind the new Surface devices?
Cut price Windows RT OS
Microsoft hasn’t published the price which it charges device makers for its Windows RT operating system but a price cut would no doubt be welcome and may convince some to follow through on plans to make Windows RT devices. Only last week we heard about HTC abandoning plans for an RT device, though the firm is going ahead with producing a smaller sized RT tablet.
Wes Miller, a computer industry analyst speaking to Bloomberg said “You need more breadth of equipment manufacturers making the devices, you need lower prices, you need a better selection of devices”. These things will help make Windows RT a “long term viability” he said. Currently Windows RT devices account for less than one per cent of the tablet market, according to IDC.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 “to be featured in upcoming Windows 8.1 RT computers”
New devices based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors and Windows RT 8.1 are expected to be on shelves later this year, the ARM chipmaker has announced. The Snapdragon 800 supports up to 4 cores running at 2.2GHz, USB 3.0, integrated 4G/LTE connectivity and display resolutions up to 2,560 x 2,048 pixels.
Qualcomm says its chip customers have built “tablets, convertibles and notebooks that are thin and fan-less, and deliver speedy performance with long lasting battery life”. We are expecting to see some of these devices, running an early version of Windows 8.1 RT, at Computex.
CNet news writers think that the next generation of Microsoft Surface RT tablets may be built using the Snapdragon 800 SoC. Microsoft’s statement within Qualcomm’s press release was indeed very enthusiastic, concluding that “Our customers will now have the opportunity to leverage the numerous advantages of these new processors, including integrated 4G/LTE connectivity and outstanding device performance.” The popularity of the LTE wireless integration, offered by the current range of Qualcomm processors, seem to have helped it get design wins over other ARM chip makers.
