Microsoft Dropped "RT" From Surface to Avoid Confusion

[exfileme]

Microsoft explains the "RT" drop in Surface 2 label.

Microsoft Dropped "RT" From Surface to Avoid Confusion : Read more

 

[Hando567]

LOL!! So last year customers were confused that when they got their surface RT with Windows RT that it wouldnt run normal windows apps. I know! Lets just call it the "Surface 2" without RT, but load it with Windows RT anyway, so now when customers buy it they dont even know it has windows RT on it!! This way people who hate RT might still buy it!

Classic M$, just decieve the customers.

 

[de5_Roy]

microsoft dropped the RT suffix so that they can trick people into buying surface 2 (running windows RT) instead of surface pro, which can run regular windows apps.
poor attempt to cheat people.

 

[assasin32]

Brilliant idea, drop RT so the people who do know about it don't know whether or not RT is loaded up on it. Now people will just think Surface 2 = low end, Surface 2 Pro = high end and not know there is an OS change.

Should have kept the RT, the confusion was with what Windows RT was not the naming scheme on the product. In fact the naming scheme was the part that made perfect sense, put RT on the product running windows RT to stop the confusion. They just failed at telling people what Windows RT was.

 

[vmem]

by dropping RT, we just have Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro... running COMPLETELY DIFFERENT OS's... doesn't that make it more confusing?

if I didn't know better I'd assume Suface 2 ran windows home addition and the 'pro' ran professional...

 

[Vorador2]

This is rich. I expect now lots of angry consumers returning their new Surface 2 tablets complaining they don't run windows apps. Not to mention the amount of shady salesman being deceptive and marketing the tablets as full windows computers.

 

[joaompp]

Pure classic M$ in all its glory

 

[ddpruitt]

Microsoft reportedly blamed "customer confusion" for the lack of sales of its first-generation Surface RT model

It wasn't customer confusion but Microsoft confusion that caused the problem. Poor compatibility and a new confusing interface didn't help. That has to be fixed before they can really sell these things.

 

[SteelCity1981]

first off 4 gb of ram should be in these things, seriously 2gb of ram simply isn't enough anymore you need at least 4gb of ram. secondly surface 2 only comes with 32gb or 64gb of hard drive space? seriously by the time windows 8.1 is installed you already ate up 15gb of space 32gb is a joke. they should at least come with 80gb or 120gb of hard drive space.

 

[mdbrotha03]

Damn now I have to tell people to look for the Surface Pro 2 and to stay away form the Surface 2 and RT. I hope that doesn't confuse them.

 

[mstngs351]

LOL!! So last year customers were confused that when they got their surface RT with Windows RT that it wouldnt run normal windows apps. I know! Lets just call it the "Surface 2" without RT, but load it with Windows RT anyway, so now when customers buy it they dont even know it has windows RT on it!! This way people who hate RT might still buy it!

Classic M$, just decieve the customers.

No, what we have here is classic mindless MS hate. The people who were confused and buying the wrong tablet were confused. Get it? They didn't know what Windows RT was in the first place so having it on their was of no help to them. At least this way uninformed people can look at the two and have a clear idea as to which one is better instead of trying to guess between RT and Pro.

There really isn't much MS can do to stop stupid people who buy something without looking into it. I've lost track of how many times my girlfriend came home complaining that another customer brought back a Samsung (or whatever) tablet thinking it was an ipad... All MS can try and do is cater to the lowest common denominator and get rid of a second, nondescript name.

 

[IAmVortigaunt]

Who cares if it doesn't run your legacy apps? It's an ARM tablet. This thing isn't designed to run PhotoShop or hugh end games, none of which are touch optimized for a TABLET. This device is more like an iPad with some additional features like side by side apps and a keyboard for typing, plus office. I preordered one.

 

[warezme]

I hope they like returns because they may TRICK a few people into purchasing the cheaper one thinking it was just a better value until they realize it is just a limited phone OS that won't run anything not tied to the store. Then the buyer will be po'ed and return it more likely driving them to get an ipad because they will feel cheated by MS.

 

[g-unit1111]

I hope they like returns because they may TRICK a few people into purchasing the cheaper one thinking it was just a better value until they realize it is just a limited phone OS that won't run anything not tied to the store. Then the buyer will be po'ed and return it more likely driving them to get an ipad because they will feel cheated by MS.

While I agree with that for the most part, MS is cheating its' customers by not correctly marketing this tablet as a PC running Windows. There are tablets out there that will run full Windows - like the Dell Venue - and they are much less expensive than iPads. If MS would show that it actually a tablet OS and not a PC OS running on a tablet, then I think that customers would be far less confused. Of course dropping Windows RT is only going to make things worse.

 

[DryCreamer]

Cuz the only thing more confusing than having 2 different products that people didn't understand the difference between is having 2 different products that people don't understand the difference between and GIVING THEM THE SAME NAME?

Dry

 

[DryCreamer]

Whatever consulting firm is telling MS to transform their business model in Apple's really needs to have their contract terminated and figure something else out... :/

Dry

 

[LORD_ORION]

Buy a Mac, buy an iPad... you have the exact same problem.

I don't understand why people are so quick to jump on the Ms hate over this one issue.

The main problem with Surface is that MS thinks Office RT is worth something (it isn't) and priced it at an insane level.

Since the price reduction, the original Surface is probably the best tablet to buy out there... but the damage is already done.

BTW surface RT can join a Windows network and use also remote desktop. If you use Windows as your primary OS, you're a mutton head for picking an iPad over a Surface after the price reduction. (before price reduction, there was a compelling argument about the insane price of Surface Rt)

 

[mstngs351]

Ok, lets pretend you don't know squat about cars and didn't do any research (the type of people who would be confused) before going to buy one. If you saw a Suzuki Swift GT and a GTi sitting next to one another you wouldn't have a clue as to which one was better. However if you saw a Swift and a Swift GT sitting next to one another then you wouldn't know exactly why, but could safely assume that the GT is the better version.

Same kind of deal for the Surface. Folks who didn't know better weren't being helped by the RT tag but if they vaguely remember a friend or family member telling them to get the better one (be honest, mom won't remember "don't get the RT") then they would have a better chance of snagging the Pro. Or visa verse.

 

[w8gaming]

Whatever consulting firm is telling MS to transform their business model in Apple's really needs to have their contract terminated and figure something else out... :/

Dry

It is not just the consulting firm. This whole issue has MS senior management blessing on it. The root cause is obviously apparent and I am sure plenty of MS staff and managers can see that, but none dare to say anything due to decisions from senior management.

 

[Alathorne]

Wow, lots of agreement on this issue. MS marketing is trying to disassociate Surface 2 from Surface RT and the latter's infamous market failures. IIRC, Surface 2 has improved hardware, but is the limited software improved any?

 

[boldintrepid]

Some of my friends can't tell the difference... MS should really point out that you can't run windows programs. They should just name it surface tablet lol. Btw, Can't customers just return the RT?

 

[jurassic512]

Windows on ARM. I don't get it.

 

[Martell1977]

The name wasn't confusing, the differences between the OS's that were unexplained by poorly informed salesmen is what caused the confusion.

Simple fix: Put a banner or sticker on the 2 versions like:

Surface 2 - Can run all your favorite Windows Phone Apps!

Surface 2 Pro: Runs many of your favorite PC Apps!

Those banners or stickers would solve a lot of the confusion, just have to make sure the salesmen know that they only run what the box says.

 

[opmopadop]

Call the OS 'ARMows' already. Anyone who buys it thinking it can run x86 Windows software can then be blamed.

 

[Fred Maxwell]

Damn now I have to tell people to look for the Surface Pro 2 and to stay away form the Surface 2 and RT. I hope that doesn't confuse them.

Why would you tell anyone to buy any Surface NoteTabBookLet? Buy a laptop for half the price or buy a real tablet that has a tablet-optimized OS and application set, depending on your needs.

There's a reason why Apple's touch screen devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) use a different OS and GUI than their personal computers. GUIs and applications optimized for use on a touch screen tablet held in one arm are totally different than ones optimized for a traditional notebook computer with pointer (mouse, touchpad, trackball) and 100%-available-at-all-times keyboard.

Until Microsoft gets that fact, they will continue to fail, with user resistance to their one-size-fits-all Windows 8 GUI that satisfies no one; not tablet users, not traditional PC users, and not phone users.