null

Windows RT Is coming back? What is this?

Posted by Thomas Ducpham on Dec 6th 2017

Windows RT Is coming back?  What is this?

It's nothing too spectacular -- Windows RT was an operating system released a while back that many critics, including myself, would argue as an operating system that could not adapt to a changing market. A few years ago when Windows 8 first launched, Microsoft had released its slim line "Surface" tablets ranging from $349 - $800 depending on model. Along with this release were a series of budget tablets with a revolutionary operating system that promised to replace its competitors.

It was not a Windows operating system that you probably were familiar with. It looked extremely close to Windows 8, It operated extremely close to Windows 8, but at its core it definitely was not Windows 8.

This operating system would be dubbed, Windows RT.

What is Windows RT?

In short, it's a mobile operating system created by Microsoft -- or if you prefer the more technical definition -- it's a mobile operating system based off the ARM architecture. Although this doesn't seem like a big deal, it actually was! There as a huge huge draw back though. Any program that was not specifically designed for this operating system wouldn't work on it, so your library of products you've been collecting over the years would be useless.

It doesn't mean that it didn't have any programs that worked on it. It had some of Microsofts most popular products like Word and Excel reprogrammed -- perfect for college students -- not so much in an enterprise setting. It wasn't necessarily a bad operating system, it certainly is revolutionary in a sense where it's the first of its kind to offer a desktop like experience on ARM -- but you don't see this operating system much any longer, do you?

What exactly is an ARM processor?

It's a CPU based on a different architecture, or a CPU with a different way of thinking and handling tasks. It's also made up of less transistors than traditional CPU's so, they're able to operate with less electricity thus, outputting less heat. It's great for mobile devices -- They're usually found in old and modern cellphones and smaller like units.

But when used for computing, they're quiet different -- just like how gasoline and diesel fuel is in automotive vehicles. If you have a program written in an x86 environment, it will not work on an ARM based CPU. You can still read and write the same files though!

Why would they be bringing such a limited Operating system back?

One of the advantages of using an ARM processor is its cost. For the performance, they're much cheaper to manufacture and as mentioned above, have an increased battery life. They're not reviving an old cow per say, but revising how Windows RT should have been. This version of Windows will be able to run x86 applications, and should offer a native experience through emulation. This means that those incompatibilities shouldn't be an issue.

That's right. It's Windows RT with x86 compatibility -- so you get all the benefits of using ARM, with all of the heft of x86 (and x64, and so on). Microsoft is even going as far as not calling it Windows RT, but re-branding the OS as Windows on ARM.

Will it be worth it?

Maybe.

It depends on who you ask. I personally think if they can get ARM computers to replace the "budget device" range, they would flourish. It might be great for the every-day consumer, but as a performance laptop? I don't think I'd replace my Surface Pro 4 now that these newer devices are on the horizon, but it might be a worth while investment for someone who isn't in possession of a computer.

I'm also curious to see how ARM processors will grow in the future. I'm sure they won't be able to compete with Intel and AMD chips without sacrificing some of its current advantages, but could this mean that we might have a near full blown desktop experience on our phones soon?

If Microsoft is reading, make it happen!