By Eva Dou
TAIPEI--Taiwanese personal computer maker Asustek Computer Inc.
(2357.TW) said Friday it will no longer make Windows RT tablets,
which run a version of Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Windows 8 for ARM
Holdings PLC's (ARMH) chips, citing weak sales.
"It's not only our opinion, the industry sentiment is also that
Windows RT has not been successful," Asustek Chief Executive Jerry
Shen told The Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of its
post-earnings conference.
Mr. Shen said Asustek will make Windows 8 devices solely for
Intel Corp.'s (INTC) chips, due to the system's backward
compatibility that Windows RT lacks. Critics of Windows RT have
said the operating system lacks enough applications to compete with
Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android or Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iOS.
He said the company took a writedown on its Windows RT tablets
in the second quarter, but didn't give a figure.
It was the first time Asustek explicitly said it won't produce
Windows RT devices anymore, though it may not come as a surprise.
Chairman Jonney Shih told AllThingD last week that "the result [of
RT devices] is not very promising" and that he was putting all of
his time and energy into devices that use Intel chips.
Write to Eva Dou at eva.dou@wsj.com
Order free Annual Report for ARM Holdings Plc
Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB0000595859 or
call +44 (0)208 391 6028
Order free Annual Report for ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=TW0002357001 or
call +44 (0)208 391 6028
Order free Annual Report for ARM Holdings Plc
Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=US0420681068 or
call +44 (0)208 391 6028
Order free Annual Report for Google, Inc.
Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=US38259P5089 or
call +44 (0)208 391 6028
Order free Annual Report for Intel Corp.
Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=US4581401001 or
call +44 (0)208 391 6028
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires