

Why Microsoft's Surface RT Failed - rbanffy
http://mashable.com/2013/07/19/surface-rt-failure/

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zamalek
A: It's too early to tell if it failed. B: If it were to fail it would be
exactly why every other Microsoft failure has ever failed. It is simply ahead-
of-its time. We all know that Microsoft had smartphones and tablets years (not
decades, but close) before anyone else. The only reason that they failed is
that they offered too much - consumers were simply not ready for those
capabilities and those capabilities scared them. The iPhone 1 was stupid
enough (sorry, it's true, my HP IPAQ or HTC TyTN II could do more than the
iPhone 1 could ever do) to not scare the market.

A confusing name: Is "RT" all that hard, or if it really does confuse someone
"that Microsoft tablet" would work just as well. Where are the apps: true. A
better alternative exists: no. A simpler alternative exists. The market isn't
ready, let's not confuse consumer perception with complexity.

Mark my words, in 6 years time Apple will come up with exactly the same thing
and everyone will lose their minds over how innovative and truely
revolutionary it is: simply because the market is ready for a product such as
that.

Let the Surface RT (and WinMO) be a lesson - you might have a game-changer of
an idea, but it is worthless until the majority of the market able to
comprehend what you have to offer.

~~~
beagle3
A: No, it's not too early.
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6067152](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6067152)
Microsoft have taken a $900 million write down for it. That's not something
you do for a success or success-in-the-making.

B: All of Microsoft's failed products (of which there are many) are ahead of
their time? Or maybe most were just not properly executed? Occam's razor and
my own experience with Microsoft's products both vote for the latter
explanation.

> Let the Surface RT (and WinMO) be a lesson - you might have a game-changer
> of an idea

I think the lesson would be: "Listen to the market; it won't blindly eat
everything you serve the way it does on the desktop, just because you are
microsoft". WinMO had a good market position for a long time, indicating that
the market did comprehend. It just didn't keep up with the times.

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JonoW
They launched Windows RT and regular Windows 8 the wrong way around. In 2-3
years time, when the Windows app store is more mature, Windows RT will make
more sense so that people don't need desktop mode as a crutch.

At that point they should try again, but with a fully Metro UI, i.e. ditch
desktop mode (including a Metro version of Office). Also needs a different
name, maybe SurfaceOS, it's too confusing for users with a name that includes
"Windows", and has a desktop that kinda-sorta works like regular Windows.

Saying that, I think the Surface Pro and other Windows 8 tabs are going to get
a lot better as x86 chips get better with power consumption, continuing from
Haswell. Seems Windows 8.1 is solid step forward.

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joshuaellinger
I actually own one - I was curious. It is shelfware next to my chumby.

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captainmuon
They should just remove the artificial restriction that desktop apps aren't
allowed, and I'd buy one immediately. (Windows RT is actually a complete port
of Windows to ARM, it just refuses to run non-signed desktop apps.)

