Microsoft may line things up behind the scenes, but for users they'll stay different.    



From ArsTechnica:

At the moment, Microsoft has a bunch of consumer-facing Windows-derived brands: Windows 8.1 for x86 and x64 PCs, Windows RT for ARM PCs, and Windows Phone for smartphones. According to research firm Canalys, that's at least one too many, with Windows Phone and Windows RT specifically named as confusing "to both developers and consumers alike." Both operating systems are used on "smart devices," so why have two?

Canalys's report shows the remarkable benefit of hindsight, as just last week Julie Larson-Green, head of Microsoft's Devices and Studios Engineering Group, told the audience at a UBS investor event that Microsoft was "not going to have three" operating systems in the future. Larson-Green outlined a need for two operating systems: a locked down mobile-oriented one and a full-strength one for tasks that need full flexibility.

  Why Microsoft needs three or more operating systems