Have the Surface RT and Surface 2 been put out to pasture?

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If you got suckered into buying a Windows RT machine from Microsoft, you’re basically up the ol’ creek, the next time you try to reset it. InfoWorld W
[See the full post at: Have the Surface RT and Surface 2 been put out to pasture?]

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I have the original and the -2. I knew what I was buying and its limitations because I do my homework. Of course, these are not primary machines as I use what I need to accomplish whatever task is at hand. From the time I learned how simple it is to build (assemble) PCs, I’ve always “purpose built” real machines. By real, I mean those huge and very powerful things that will blow the off the shelf garbage right into the weeds. Those, for the most part, are W7 PCs that never, ever go online. There are rare occasions when an online Windows device must be used, that’s when my SP3 with 8.1 with updates turned off gets used. Almost all of my online time is spent on a Chromebox. I guess I strayed from the path here but bottom line is that, for the intended purpose,RT and/or RT-2 work just fine.

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At least apple supported older hardware for longer!
Who is going to buy a Microsoft device now?

Developers may take up the challenge to include these devices via Linux/Android or even Google Chrome…who knows.

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This seems to be the direct download link to Update 3 (KB3033055).

http://download.windowsupdate.com/d/msdownload/update/software/updt/2015/09/windows8.1-kb3033055-arm_1b0aeee420c6ad850de7cfac0c485d4bd7965f71.msu

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Bought my wife a RT when they first came out. Didnt have it a year and traded it in for iPad. Never considered another Surface after that. If you going to call it a laptop replecement at least Microsoft could do is include a keyboard. That has always bugged me that Microsoft always shows a tablet attatched even though its a accessory. No thanks,I will buy a real notebook.

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+1

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To X.: direct link to KB……it downloads ok, but when attempted to run, it opens stand alone installer and never finishes. My device is RT, which I had to reset about a week ago, and now it doesn’t download any updates at all.

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Oy. Seems to be a common problem, among folks who have reset their machines.

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What does “never finishes” mean? Try rebooting, disconnect from internet, and install the KB.

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Oh, boy… just reading through the 18 pages of that “Resetting Surface RT in NOV 2016. Cannot get Windows RT 8.1 Update 3.” on the MS forum made my head spin.

A couple of observations:

1. Reading the responses from the MS employees I have to wonder if they’re actually real people? They seem like some sort of automated ‘chatbots’ to me. No wonder customers get so frustrated (yep, I know they’re posting from a ‘prepared script’).

Maybe ‘Eliza Psychiatrist’ could help them?

http://www.manifestation.com/neurotoys/eliza.php3

Come to think of it, she might actually be more helpful in regards to the Surface problems

2. Is the never ending search for updates MS’s new way of saying “too bad, you’re out of luck, we can’t be bothered supporting this (version of Windows/Surface tablet/whatever) anymore (because we’ve cut down staff numbers to save money)?

Watching MS’s antics these days is far more entertaining than watching some of the rubbish on TV and at the cinemas… its just a pity that it is causing so many people so much annoyance and frustration though.

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The MS employees on the forum are real people, but it isn’t clear how engaged they are – or overworked they might be. As you say, the core commonality is that Microsoft can’t make a buck off it, so they aren’t going to spend any.

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Woody; “As you say, the core commonality is that Microsoft can’t make a buck off it, so they aren’t going to spend any.”

Pareto Principal 80/20 rule. FTM

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Hi Woody,

Here is how I can install Update 3 to my Surface RT.

https://surfacetip.com/install-windows-rt-8-1-update-3-2017/

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VERY cool!

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Thank Woody for sharing my tips.

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You betcha. Keep ’em comin’!

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