CeBIT 2013 | Samsung may pull its ATIV Tab from the German market

According to members of the German media, Samsung may be pulling its Windows RT ATIV Tab from the country’s shelves. Confusion surrounding Windows’ ARM-targeted OS was sighted when the company announced the tablet would not be made available in the U.S.

Ronald Tiefenthäler/ Alex Storey, Published 03/08/2013

Tablet Windows

Windows RT (Windows on ARM) tablets are less than five months old and struggling to find their place on the market. Consumers are apparently unaware of the limitations/differences in regard to Windows 8 proper, while OEMs have been quoted as saying that educating consumers is too costly and ineffective.

Windows RT is unavailable for purchase by consumers as a standalone operating system. The OS is only sold to OEMs which for the moment include Lenovo, Asus, Samsung, Dell and Microsoft itself. HP and Toshiba pulled out, while Acer is rumoured to release an RT tablet of its own later this year.

Now Samsung representatives at CeBIT have allegedly claimed the company will cease to provide its Windows RT ATIV tablet in Germany, one of Europe’s largest markets. German members of the media were told that other European countries were also likely to follow. The news comes two months after CES 2013, where Samsung hinted it would not be releasing the ATIV Tab in the U.S.

The main reason for the tablet’s demise in Germany is likely to be disappointing sales figures. One can only speculate, however the reasons may include a €600 price tag (approximately 780 US Dollars), a lack of compatibility with legacy applications, and a less bountiful and diverse ecosystem when compared to Android.