Microsoft slashes price of Surface RT tablet to £279 Unlike the Intel-based Surface Pro, which went on sale in the UK at the end of May, the Surface RT is based on an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and runs the cut-down Windows RT version of Windows 8, adapted to run on the ARM processor architecture. However, recent figures from analysts IDC show that Microsoft shipped just 900,000 Surface RTs and Pros in the first three months of 2013. Apple, by contrast, shifted 19.5 million iPads. "Recent rumors have circulated about the possibility of smaller screen Windows RT and Windows 8 tablets hitting the market," said Ryan Reith, program manager for IDC's Mobility Tracker program, at the time. However, the notion that this will be the saving grace is flawed. Clearly the market is moving toward smart 7-8 inch devices, but Microsoft's larger challenges centre around consumer messaging and lower cost competition.