Dell has stopped selling its Windows RT-based tablet, the XPS 10. There's no indication whether the company permanently dropped the device, or is simply waiting to announce a new version on October 18. However, market watchers have already pointed out that Microsoft is currently the only company producing a Windows RT device with the upcoming launch of its Surface 2. Windows RT partners have seemingly jumped off the Windows RT bandwagon since the end of last year, and Dell is the last manufacturer to bail.
From what we've heard, new Windows RT devices are likely on the way next month. Dell may have simply sold out of its XPS 10, and is waiting on Microsoft to give the green light – this isn't uncommon. But given that Microsoft took a $900 million kick in the pants for unsold Surface RT tablets, you have to wonder what's really going on in the Windows RT market. The updated RT 8.1 is supposedly a vast improvement, but consumers will still face a brick wall when wanting to use their x86-based desktops apps on ARM-based hardware.
Both Microsoft and Nvidia have made it clear that they're not giving up on Windows RT, and Microsoft's Operating Systems division is hell-bent on creating one silicon interface, one set of APIs, one cloud service, and a tailored experience for each form factor. That means eventually we'll see one marketplace that caters to both x86 and ARM-based platforms. As we've seen with Surface 2, Microsoft is already trying to tear down the x86/ARM wall just in name alone.
Check out our Surface 2 coverage below:
- Surface 2: A Look at the Hardware Inside
- Surface Type Cover 2: Thinner and Sensitive Under Pressure
- Microsoft Surface 2: We Go Hands On
- Microsoft Surface 2 Event Live Blog
- Microsoft Surface Pro 2: We Go Hands On
- Here's the UK Pricing for Microsoft's New Surface Tablets
- Microsoft Announces Two New Surface 2 Tablets
- Microsoft Announces New Touch Covers, Power Cover and Dock
