Samsung could pull the plug on its failing Windows RT tablet in Europe

By now it’s clear that the early reception to Windows RT has been…subdued, to say the least.

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Samsung knows it, which is why the company is on the verge of nixing sales of its 10.1-inch Windows RT Ativ Tab in Germany and other European countries, according to reports from a pair of German news outlets.

The move is big, big deal. Germany is Europe’s largest economy, so if people aren’t picking up on the device there, sales elsewhere probably aren’t so hot either.

While the report hasn’t been confirmed by Samsung yet (don’t worry – we’ve reached out), it does make a whole lot of sense given Samsung previous confirmation that it has no plans to bring Windows RT tablets to the U.S. That decision, like the one with Europe, is in reaction to a very clear reality: There’s just no market for Windows RT, and if there is one, Samsung just can’t find a way to reach it.

“It’s not something we’re shelving permanently. It’s still a viable option for us in the future, but now might not be the right time,” Samsung tablet and PC head Mike Abary said of the U.S. move in January.

But Samsung isn’t alone. Asus CEO Jerry Shen also says that Windows RT has a long trip ahead of it on the road to consumer acceptance. “At this moment, for last year and this year, I believe Windows RT needs to take time to ramp up,” Shen said on a call with investors.

Shen, like anyone who has been paying attention, recognizes that there’s a crisis of message with Windows RT, and so far Microsoft’s failed to address it.