Microsoft stops Surface 2 manufacturing making clear the end of Windows RT

Surface 2 vs Surface RT

Although Surface has become a billion dollar market for Microsoft, it’s not actually because of Surface running Windows RT. It’s all thanks to the newer model, Surface Pro 3, which has outsold any other previous model of the tablet.

As such it should not come as too much of a surprise that Microsoft is announcing that is no longer manufacturing Surface 2 tablets. The company also says that anyone who wants to buy a Surface should try to grab one now while supply last at the Microsoft Retail Store, MicrosoftStore.com, and third-party retailers.

Considering that Surface RT and Surface 2 are practically the only devices running Windows RT, now we can say this is also the end for the operating system. However, Microsoft has previously said that Windows RT devices will continue to get updates and it’s planning to bring some Windows 10 features to the platform, but Windows RT devices won’t be a supported operating system to upgrade to Windows 10.

Outside the Surface 2, the only Windows RT tablet out there is the Microsoft’s Nokia Lumia 2520, which is a 32GB model available through Verizon, but the company has not confirm if it’s retiring the device.

The take on this announcement is that now we can clearly see that Microsoft is shifting focus to Surface Pro 3 and future models, and perhaps the big unmentioned detail is the clear end of the line for Windows RT.

Surface 2 was the successor of the Surface RT, even though both models were based on ARM processors running Windows RT. The second version of the tablet was thinner, lighter, faster, and featured a better display. However, the big problem was the operating system that didn’t support traditional applications, which made it a difficult sale.

Source Business Insider

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.