Fluctuation in Microsoft’s value after the introduction of Windows RT

By DANIEL WAMBUGU on September 4, 2014

Windows RT is an edition of windows 8 which operates at 32-bit AMR powered devices. A good example is the surface tablet which is a product of Microsoft. Microsoft claims that this operating system will have longer battery life because its architecture is power efficient. They should also be thin in structure because it uses System on Chip (SOC) technology (“Windows 8 vs Windows RT: what’s the difference? | News | TechRadar,” n.d.). Its appearance and functionality are similar to those of windows 8 but it does not accept applications and software that are not from the windows store.

A prototype of Windows RT was released in 2011 at the consumer Electronic show, but the complete windows was released on October 26 2012. It was launched together with windows 8. The launch was accompanied with three RT based tablets, one of them being the surface RT tablets, the Microsoft product.(“Windows 8 vs Windows RT: what’s the difference? | News | TechRadar,” n.d.)

Windows have evolved a very long way. It has several versions and each of the versions being released after the previous one but with added features. Windows XP was highly accepted by its users due to ease in usage and also it is very compatible with most of the computer applications. It was released to the market in October 2001 and it’s still in use even now (Russinovich, Solomon, & Allchin, 2005). You can be surprised that most of the homes and also offices still use it in their daily operations. Windows XP was stable and also very fast. It was followed by windows Vista, which was slow and unstable. Users never liked it and hence Microsoft quickly released windows 7 which was more user friendly than Vista. Lately, Microsoft has launched windows 8. It has not been well appreciated as Microsoft expected. (“Windows 9 Will Merge Windows, Windows Phone, Windows RT in 2015,” n.d.).

Windows RT is usually preinstalled to the devices and contains features such as office 2013, device encryption capability, virtual private network, exchange active sync, windows defender, X-box live, Internet explorer 10, etc.

Fluctuation in Microsoft’s Value with the introduction to Windows RT

Microsoft’s market value has been dropping ever since it launched Windows RT. Due to several shortcomings of Windows RT, people did not appreciate it and this caused several vendors to withdraw from sponsoring it in the future (Russinovich, Solomon, & Allchin, 2005).

Some of the shortcomings that led to rejection by the users is because it is impossible to upgrade from normal windows like windows 7 to Windows RT. (“Windows 8 vs Windows RT: what’s the difference? | News | TechRadar,” n.d.) explains that the normal windows operate on *86 chips and the Windows RT operate on the ARM processor hence they are not compatible. Also Windows RT does not accept applications that are not from the windows store, hence it was hard for people to use it, since most of their favourite applications could not be installed on this new device.

Despite Windows RT has added features such as office 2013, the users have shown a lot of dissatisfaction with the product. (“Windows 9 Will Merge Windows, Windows Phone, Windows RT in 2015,” n.d.) state that “In august 2013, Microsoft made a loss of US $ 900 million due to the poor sales of surface RT tablets, which had just been released.”

What does the future hold?

Microsoft being led by its CEO Satya Nadella is planning to clean up its mess and introduce another product in the market that will have a positive response from the people out there. They are planning to launch windows 9 which is expected to be an improvement of windows 8 with more features added to it. It is expected to be launched on April 2015 (“Windows 9 Will Merge Windows, Windows Phone, Windows RT in 2015,” n.d.)

Nadella explains that the operating system they are planning to launch next will have all the three operating systems put into one. There were three operating systems that were launched with windows 8 which included; the standard stand alone for operating on the *86 chips, which are the common computers, the Windows RT which is for use with the tablets and the window phones which uses the ARM processor (“Windows 8 vs Windows RT: what’s the difference? | News | TechRadar,” n.d.).

With the new improved operating system, it is expected that the features that were missing on windows 8 will be included and also it will have many other improved functions. (“Why Microsoft’s Surface RT Failed,” n.d.) explains that the start menu which was skipped in the windows 8 will be available, it will also have incorporated office 2015 in it, the windows defender will be fully functional, one drive will be present and windows activation will be improve.

Stepping ahead

Despite having some added features incorporated in the Windows RT, users seem to be very unsatisfied. Microsoft has also experienced a lot of losses and is willing to go an extra step ahead and make some changes to the operating system that they are planning to introduce. It is with great hope that the new product that hasn’t reached the market will be appreciated and will boost the market value of Microsoft to where it has always been.

References

Discuss