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Windows RT Will Require 12GB of Storage on Tablets

By - Source: Business Insider

Need a bigger boat?

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows RT takes up more than one third of Surface’s 32GB storage space.

The tablet's test manager Ricardo Lopez said that owners of the 32GB variant will only have 20GB of storage to utilize; Windows RT OS, Microsoft Office and other various pre-loaded apps take up a considerable proportion of the device's internal storage space.

When asked about the size relating to the Windows RT install, Ricardo Lopez replied, “After the OS, Office RT and a bunch of apps, you will still have more that 20GB. As you say, you can always add an SD card and while you cannot add apps there, you can get music, movies and photos there.”

Comparatively, iOS on the iPad takes up 1GB.

Surface, which has already seen its $499 model sold out a day after prices were announced, releases on October 26 alongside Windows 8.

 

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There are 60 Comments. B
Top Comments
  • 23
    amdwilliam1985 , October 19, 2012 8:34 PM
    Also, let's be reasonable here, stick to the fact, $500 buys you 12 to 13 GB of user accessible storage on the iPad or 20+ GB on Surface.
  • 19
    bllue , October 19, 2012 8:45 PM
    That is a lot but at least we have the option to use SD/USB drives
  • 19
    WhyFi , October 19, 2012 8:05 PM
    "Comparatively, iOS on the iPad takes up 1GB."

    Doesn't take much to launch apps.

    ....but yeah, 12GB is a bit portly.
Other Comments
  • 7
    osamabinrobot , October 19, 2012 8:02 PM
    youve got to be kidding me! they cant even keep the bloat down on a tablet version of the os?
  • 6
    jacobdrj , October 19, 2012 8:04 PM
    I would have expected 2gb, maybe 4. I could have even been like, hmm, 7, I guess...

    12? Even with office, that is excessive. Too many uncompressed BMPs?
  • 19
    WhyFi , October 19, 2012 8:05 PM
    "Comparatively, iOS on the iPad takes up 1GB."

    Doesn't take much to launch apps.

    ....but yeah, 12GB is a bit portly.
  • -6
    Distinct , October 19, 2012 8:11 PM
    Really? My Windows 8 Enterprise x64 download from MSDN is 3.4GB.... the x86 is 2.4GB.... how is the RT version adding 10GB? Even with Office 2013 preview pre-installed, which btw.... is 830MB(x64), that doesn't seem to stack up.
  • 12
    lipoly , October 19, 2012 8:17 PM
    You could've linked to the actual source of this info instead of this (biased) article: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/11kyja/iam_panos_panay_gm_of_microsoft_surface_amaa_ask/

    Link to specific question/answer: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/11kyja/iam_panos_panay_gm_of_microsoft_surface_amaa_ask/c6ndgfl
  • 14
    amdwilliam1985 , October 19, 2012 8:33 PM
    DistinctReally? My Windows 8 Enterprise x64 download from MSDN is 3.4GB.... the x86 is 2.4GB.... how is the RT version adding 10GB? Even with Office 2013 preview pre-installed, which btw.... is 830MB(x64), that doesn't seem to stack up.


    I think you're talking about download of the image, once you extract and install it, Windows 8 and 7 does take up space.
    I do agree Windows RT takes up a lot of space, no wonder they start space at 32GB.
    But if you can deliver the smoothness and ubiquitous then I see a win.
    modern browser and OS that lets you download and play with flash, put in a touch of MS office and full size USB, it's a win win. My gf is already thinking about dumping her iPad(html web with youtube machine) for the Surface(flash web and office).
  • 23
    amdwilliam1985 , October 19, 2012 8:34 PM
    Also, let's be reasonable here, stick to the fact, $500 buys you 12 to 13 GB of user accessible storage on the iPad or 20+ GB on Surface.
  • 19
    bllue , October 19, 2012 8:45 PM
    That is a lot but at least we have the option to use SD/USB drives
  • -8
    captaincharisma , October 19, 2012 8:58 PM
    well this will keep windows tablets expensive. considering how small IOS and droid OS are this is a bad news for MS
  • 17
    hate machine , October 19, 2012 9:00 PM
    The source never stated 12 gigs was the install. The guy said after the OS, Office and "A bunch of apps you will be left with 20 GBs.
  • 8
    Distinct , October 19, 2012 9:02 PM
    amdwilliam1985I think you're talking about download of the image, once you extract and install it, Windows 8 and 7 does take up space.I do agree Windows RT takes up a lot of space, no wonder they start space at 32GB.But if you can deliver the smoothness and ubiquitous then I see a win.modern browser and OS that lets you download and play with flash, put in a touch of MS office and full size USB, it's a win win. My gf is already thinking about dumping her iPad(html web with youtube machine) for the Surface(flash web and office).



    Aha, you are correct sir!
  • -5
    nforce4max , October 19, 2012 9:25 PM
    Wow not even Vista sucks up that much when fresh installed.
  • -2
    razor512 , October 19, 2012 9:27 PM
    Why cant they just port over windows XP, Modern tablets are faster than PC's that we considered to be pretty fast when XP was in it's prime. XP uses about 400-700MB of storage space (can be stripped to around 350MB is you delete the files related so some of the more esoteric business and networking features.

    The core OS components (no 3rd party software), only takes about 30-40MB of RAM at bootup (which is why windows XP can boot on a system with only 64MB of RAM)

    Why is it that we have mobile OS such as android or iOS taking 500MB of RAM at bootup, 1-2GB of storage but only offer a fraction of the functionality of a full desktop OS like windows XP?

    Overall, someone needs to create a new mobile OS that is built completely from the ground up that is designed to be memory and storage efficient. or port over an OS that was designed at a time when developers actually had to worry about RAM, CPU and storage IOPS
  • 13
    jivdis1x , October 19, 2012 9:28 PM
    The title is deceiving.
  • 16
    g-thor , October 19, 2012 9:39 PM
    Attention author - words have meaning.

    When you quote a source who says,
    Quote:
    After the OS, Office RT and a bunch of apps, you will still have more than 20GB.
    , then you cannot have a title that states
    Quote:
    Windows RT Will Require 12GB of Storage on Tablets
    . Simple math says 32-12=20, but the expert says you have MORE than 20 GB, ergo Windows RT, with programs and apps, will require less than 12GB.

    I realize you lean more towards Apple, but please ....
  • -9
    anonymous@guest , October 19, 2012 9:43 PM
    12 gigas of bloated bad designed software... they must be porting windows 3.1 to tablets at just 1.44mbs!!! that was good programing
  • 3
    djscribbles , October 19, 2012 9:52 PM
    I wonder if the RT version has a pagefile, hibernate and system restore functions, those could account for a decent chunk of that space.

    However, considering the significant size of the initial install; it's a little deceptive to sell the 32GB model as 32 GB, since a large portion is not usable. Reasonably informed people realize that the advertised space is not what you have available to use, but wouldn't expect a third of the storage to be reserved space.
  • 3
    anonymous@guest , October 19, 2012 9:54 PM
    "Simple math says 32-12=20, but the expert says you have MORE than 20 GB, ergo Windows RT, with programs and apps, will require less than 12GB."

    Simple English says "require" does not mean "consume completely." One might even go so far as to guess that the 12GB requirement is a minimum meant to allow for both the O/S AND a few apps to be installed, so that people don't but a 12GB device to find that they have room for nothing but the O/S.
  • 0
    jacobdrj , October 19, 2012 10:15 PM
    Razor512Why cant they just port over windows XP, Modern tablets are faster than PC's that we considered to be pretty fast when XP was in it's prime. XP uses about 400-700MB of storage space (can be stripped to around 350MB is you delete the files related so some of the more esoteric business and networking features.The core OS components (no 3rd party software), only takes about 30-40MB of RAM at bootup (which is why windows XP can boot on a system with only 64MB of RAM)Why is it that we have mobile OS such as android or iOS taking 500MB of RAM at bootup, 1-2GB of storage but only offer a fraction of the functionality of a full desktop OS like windows XP?Overall, someone needs to create a new mobile OS that is built completely from the ground up that is designed to be memory and storage efficient. or port over an OS that was designed at a time when developers actually had to worry about RAM, CPU and storage IOPS


    Maybe because XP was a horrible bloated OS full of security holes and unoptimized drivers, and a completely useless touch-screen UI... because it wasn't designed for touch screens... Designed for X86, no less...

    Please, I have been waiting for XP to die since it came out. We now have a vialbe alternative in Windows 7. I know some companies can't upgrade without crazy capital investments, but any thought of using an existing tested OS should start and end with Windows 7, as Windows 2000 is the only other OS that I would even consider, and that just is too insecure by today's standards...


  • 9
    damianrobertjones , October 19, 2012 10:18 PM
    hate machineThe source never stated 12 gigs was the install. The guy said after the OS, Office and "A bunch of apps you will be left with 20 GBs.


    This. Remember people.. .never let the facts get in the way of a story that'll drive up the post count and keep this site alive instead of failing as it seems to be doing.
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