Microsoft reportedly charging vendors $85 for Windows RT licenses

Barnes & Noble denies involvement with Microsoft tablet set to be unveiled today

Microsoft’s ARM-friendly Windows RT operating system may hit more than a few road blocks when it launches this fall. The software giant is reportedly charging tablet makers a whopping $85 licensing fee per device to use its latest operating system, potentially making it extremely difficult for companies to undercut Apple’s iPad. The purported pricing was revealed to VR Zone by numerous vendors during the Computex Taipei trade show, all of which claimed the price would be anywhere between $80 and $95 — $85 being the most frequently reported number. At those rates, ARM-powered Windows RT tablets will cost anywhere between $549 and $799 according to the site, while premium products could be priced between $799 and $899.

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