14 DAY TRIAL // We all knew that Windows RT had no future, but Microsoft has always tried to make it successful despite the criticism that came from pretty much all around it, including from partners and users alike.
The company appears to have acknowledged Windows RT's failure to impress, so it's now working not only to move away from the tablet-oriented operating system but also to replace it with a platform that has bigger chances to succeed.
As we've reported to you earlier today, it turns out that Redmond could unveil a Surface 2 successor at BUILD 2015, and contrary to what some people expected, it won't be powered by Windows RT.
Instead, the company will go for Windows 8.1, and thanks to an Intel-based CPU, running the full version of the OS will indeed be possible, although some expect a stripped-down version of the operating system to be installed on this new tablet.
The Surface 2 was the second and the last Microsoft tablet coming with Windows RT, so if Microsoft indeed decides to step away from this platform, it would pretty much become the second operating system designed by the Redmond giant that proved to be a complete failure.
Windows Vista, often referred to as Microsoft's biggest disaster in the software market, is still on the market these days, but there's no doubt that fewer people use it every day. Its small and dropping market share is proof that Windows Vista quickly became one of the products that Microsoft wants to forget as soon as possible, and Windows RT is very likely to have the same fate.
Surface Mini and Surface Pro 4
But what's more interesting is what happens after Windows RT.
If a Surface 3 tablet is indeed presented by Microsoft at BUILD 2015, the other devices prepared by Microsoft for late 2015 might actually arrive a little bit too soon to let the new model enjoy significant sales in the short term.
People close to the matter have revealed to us that Microsoft is planning to unveil the successor to Surface Pro 3, possibly called Surface Pro 4, as well as a smaller model baptized Surface Mini. Previously, it was believed that the Surface Mini would be powered by Windows RT, but if this OS goes dark, the new device could actually come with Windows 10 for phones, the revamped OS version that will be installed on both smartphones and small tablets.
Many of these details are still rumors right now, so just don't take anything for granted until Microsoft confirms or denies them.