14 DAY TRIAL // Windows RT, Microsoft’s tablet-oriented operating system, has often been criticized for the lack of support for legacy desktop applications and, given the fact that Samsung decided to abandon the software in Europe, it’s very likely to lose most of its users, an analyst believes.
Richard Windsor, independent tech analyst and former employee of Nomura, said in a statement that Windows RT is going nowhere, so ARM may soon be left with 0 percent of the Windows market.
Samsung last week revealed that it would soon stop selling Windows RT tablets in Germany and in some other European countries, citing slow demand as the main reason.
In addition, the company said in early January that it wouldn’t launch Windows RT devices in the United States, mostly because the operating system is still considered a confusing product and buyers may need additional training.
This kind of decisions could really hurt Windows RT, Windsor explained, so Windows RT may soon lose most of its adopters.
“Consequently, it looks to me that it will be some considerable time before ARM can really have a go at this market and I can see the medium term forecasts for ARM having being cut. ARM is a high flyer for good reason but if estimates are heading south then the multiple is likely to unravel as well as the numbers,” he said in a statement.
“I still prefer ARM’s customers as the cheaper and more beneficial way to invest in the ARM story but at the moment that story itself is holding its breath.”
Microsoft is yet to provide some official statistics on the early uptake of Windows RT, but the company continues to bet big on the Surface RT device, its first tablet in history also using this particular operating system.
Even though the Pro version of the tablet equipped with the full version of Windows 8 is already on sale, Microsoft continues to work on bringing the RT in new markets across the world.