Where Does Windows RT Come From?

What does Windows RT mean?

As you might already found out by now, there will be three versions of the upcoming Microsoft newest OS: a simple Windows 8 which targets the common users, a more sophisticated and well-equipped Windows 8 Pro that has been designed in order to fulfill the requests of enthusiastic users and corporations, and a third version which targets the tablets which will use ARM technology. The latter version is called Windows RT and many are wondering where does this name is coming from?

And that’s a quite normal question. Windows RT name comes from the Windows Runtime platform on which some of the ARM software technologies are being built. Starting from this fact, other questions have appeared. Everybody agrees with the fact that it is a good thing that Microsoft has decided to stick with just 3 versions but nobody understand why they have chosen the Windows RT name. The Runtime platform is not limited to ARM software creation and also not so many people are familiar with this platform, either. The only positive aspect of this denomination comes from the fact that it is simple to remember.

Many people are talking on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks about the Windows RT name. Some have suggested that it would have been a better idea to name this Windows 8 edition Windows CE, or even Windows Metro. I cannot agree with the later, as the Metro interface has also been integrated in all the versions of this OS, and naming it so would have created more confusion. Alternatives like Windows Phone are not viable either, because this would suggest that this operating system is limited to the use on phones, which is not true, the new edition being created specifically for all ARM devices.

Other worries have been expressed in regards to the sales strategies that will be applied to the tablets which will run on Windows 8 and on Windows RT, too. The first one will be Intel powered while the second category will operate on ARM processors. And a customer which will do not know the advantages of each technology will find a very difficult task in understanding them. I can already see their questions: ‘Aren’t both kind of tablets running on Windows 8?’; ‘Then why one of them is able to work with some applications that are incompatible to the other one?’; ‘…and if I choose to buy a Windows 8 tablet that is compatible with all sort of applications, why do you say that I will be more satisfied with the Touch interface of Windows RT, which basically is just another version of Windows 8?’. I really feel sorry for those poor salesmen…

I don’t really have a very good idea of how Windows RT should be named instead. But I am pretty sure that this not the choice. What do you think?

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