Windows RT Update 3 Adds Start Menu…And That’s It

Microsoft has released an update for Windows RT, introducing a version of the Start Menu to ARM-powered devices but not much else.

While Windows 7 and 8 customers have been able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, Microsoft confirmed RT would not receive a major update although it did promise some elements would make their way to the likes of the original Surface and Nokia Lumia 2520.

Windows RT Update 3

The Start Menu is not identical to the one in Windows 10, but it does allow users to pin, resize and move around tiles and also includes the ‘circular’ user account photos included in the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system. The menu can be enabled and disabled via the taskbar.

The addition brings the aesthetics of RT closer to that of Windows 10, but key features like the Edge browser and Cortana are absent.

Windows RT launched alongside Windows 8 in 2012 and was designed to be used in tablets with the low power chips included in most smartphones. But it received a lukewarm reception as it was only able to run apps from the Windows Store, not the legacy apps used by many businesses and consumers.

Earlier this year, Microsoft appeared to call time on the platform when it ended production of the Lumia 2520 and used the full version of Windows for the Surface 3.

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