Microsoft first announced its plans to offer an OS that would run on ARM-based processors in early 2011, but it wasn"t until 2012 that Microsoft settled on "Windows RT" as its actual brand name. Now, a new report claims that a top executive at Dell tried to get Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to use another name to describe their ARM OS.
The Australian Financial Review reports that, during last week"s Dell World conference in Austin, Texas, the head of its PC division, Jeffrey Clarke, said that he had spoken to Ballmer earlier this year. Clarke told Ballmer that since their ARM OS could not run older Windows programs, the OS should be called something other than Windows RT.
Clarke said that Ballmer"s reason for choosing the name was that Microsoft"s Windows brand was too important not to use it for the ARM OS. However, some people who have purchased Windows RT devices, such as Microsoft"s Surface tablet, have reportedly been confused because they are unable to run older Windows programs on the tablet.
Dell is now selling its own Windows RT tablet, the XPS 10, but the ship dates for the tablet are currently set for late December or early January, depending on the configuration.
Source: Australian Financial Review | Image via Dell