Microsoft hints major Surface RT announcement

Primary education space to be "a great place" for hoped iPad-rival, says company

Microsoft let slip its plans for the future life of its ARM-powered Surface RT device recently, during a keynote speech at TechEd Europe 2013 e-learning and and education technology summit.

When Computing asked Microsoft strategic education partner lead Mark Stewart - who had been singing the praises of Windows 8 as a tablet-based education platform - whether the originally student-aimed Surface RT would enjoy similar focus, Stewart replied:

"You don't know how interesting that question is, and I can't possibly tell you."

"It's a really fair question," Stewart continued.

Stewart explained to delegates that Windows RT is "a special version of Windows 8 for the ARM Processor," describing the Surface RT hardware as "low power, always-on, and very similar to the iPad in that regard. So we do see that as a very strong device in the education sector.

"What I'm trying to say is Surface RT is a great device, particularly in the primary space, and gives you a little bit more that you could use at other educational levels too," said Stewart, who added that Surface RT works with "all 80,000 apps in the Windows 8 app store".

Stewart said that "the right device for the right activity is important" and that while he didn't want to "stand here and knock the competition, we do see a lot of pure tablet technology being introduced into schools that's failing big time. And that's largely because consumerisation is driving it."

This problem "exists in secondary schools more, as you want to teach skills rather than tools," said Stewart, before reflecting that "the primary space, where we are particularly looking at curriculum-based applications to teach, say, maths; we've been going out to schools and looking at apps they use, and we've seen that being able to use that makes a huge difference."

As far as Windows 8 goes, Stewart asked of Microsoft, "Have we got it 100 per cent? There's always room for improvement."