Microsoft Store staff fails to explain the difference between the two operating systems

Oct 18, 2012 08:22 GMT  ·  By

With so many Microsoft Surface stories published all over the Internet, one would assume that Microsoft has already trained its employees to explain normal users the main features of the tablet.

This didn’t happen however and the Microsoft Store staff apparently knows even less about the Surface than us, normal users who never got the chance to hold the new device.

The editors over at The Verge performed a very interesting experiment: they called a Microsoft Store to ask a few questions about Windows RT’s capabilities.

So, “what’s the difference between Windows 8 and Windows RT, or are they the same thing?” the Microsoft representative was asked.

Surprisingly, “they’re pretty much the same thing, there is no real huge difference beside the RT is more touch-friendly,” he answered.

While several representatives told The Verge that the Surface runs “Windows 8 RT,” others claimed that consumers aren’t able to download apps on the device “because it’s a tablet.”

When asked about the meaning of x86/x64 software, a Microsoft employee simply stated that “it’s nothing you’d care about. That’s more for people who are building their own software.”

Microsoft is fully aware that its staff isn’t yet prepared to sell the Surface tablet and said in a statement that its Store employees would undergo a training program to better understand the features boasted by the new device.

“We will be training our team members to ask qualifying questions to help determine their customers’ needs and the best products to fill those needs and recommend the right device and by GA, store associates on average will have completed more than 15 hours of training on Windows and Surface,” the statement reads.