Toshiba Cancels Windows RT Tablets, Apparently Just For Now

It’s not looking good for the upcoming ARM-based Windows RT-based tablet market, due to spring into life on October 26, when Windows 8 and Windows RT are launched. Major player Toshiba has cancelled previously announced plans to introduce a Windows RT-based tablet “for the time being”, apparently due to a parts shortage, “Toshiba has decided not to introduce Windows RT models due to delayed components that would make a timely launch impossible,” Eric Paulsen, a U.S-based spokesman, said in the statement. “For the time being, Toshiba will focus on bringing Windows 8 products to market. We will continue to look into the possibility of Windows RT products in the future while monitoring market conditions.” Toshiba didn’t specify which components it couldn’t get.

Cancelling a product launch for the foreseable future and scrapping all that investment in a new product line simply due to delayed components looks like an odd and rather severe thing to do, as normally, the launch would simply be delayed for a while. Reading between the lines, it looks like Toshiba doesnt think Windows RT tablets will be successful against their x86-based counterparts, which is likely the real reason. This will be a setback for Microsoft’s plans to create an ARM-based tablet market running Microsoft software to compete with Apple’s all-conquering iPad.