Mobile
Report: Windows 8 RT License Fee at $85 Per Unit
Reports are circulating that Microsoft’s ARM Tablet OS, better and curiously known as Windows RT is going to cost OEMs an average of $85 per unit to license. The source for the report is VR-Zone. It’s writers were talking to OEMs at Computex Taipei on the differences between building Windows and Android Tablets and the price range they were hearing was between $80 to $95 per unit.
If the report is true, and of course Microsoft isn’t talking, that piles up some pretty steep overhead on a Windows RT Tablet before you even start counting the beans it will cost for the hardware.
Like others, I find the report possibly on the sketchy side for several reasons:
Price point has got to be a selling factor for these Windows RT Tablets. If it isn’t Microsoft starts off with a real problem out of the gate.
I’m not sure why the OEMs would be speaking this freely about the pricing structure at this point, unless it is intended as a slap at Microsoft. And that’s probably not a smart move in any regard.
But then again, this kind of move wouldn’t be that out of character for Microsoft.
ChrisRS
06/13/2012 at 2:53 pm
Windows RT will include Microsoft Office. That addds to the value and cost.
I think MS is trying to make this something to distinguish W8 RT tablets from iPad and Android.
I doubt that the general public will appreciate this or see the value of Office. (After all there is a cheap, underpowered, app for that – or 4 or 5) I am even more doubtfull that sales people will be aware of it or be able toexpalin it. The general computer blogger/columist (GBM excepted) will not even be aware of it.
Untill MS sets a price and releases Office for Android and iPad, we will not know its value and the relative value vs cost for W8 RT.