Windows 8 Table Warning

[MsDG]

Just a quick warning about the new Windows 8 Tablets.

Windows 8 comes in two forms. The "Full" version which you install on PCs and Laptops.... and the Window 8 RT (Real Toss) version for tablets.

The difference? The full version can run all legacy PC software, where are the RT version ONLY runs software from the new Microsoft App store. You cannot run legacy software on the RT tablets!

I would imagine if there is a company with half a brain then someone will release a tablet that can run the full version, or indeed some clever sod will figure out how to hack the RT to Full.

However, for now... you want MS office on a RT Tablet? Forget office 2007/2010... you only option is 2013 through the app store!

Edit

Found one... but they are very much the exception.

http://shop.lenovo.com/gbweb/gb/en/l...kpad-tablet-2/

[GTI]

I don't really see the big issue, most software titles for standard PC will look and feel shit on a touch tablet. Therefore its better that developers focus on making ARM compatible alternatives for the RT platform. Microsoft had nothing but failure with tablets over the years, and I personally don't think they will have much luck with their much more expensive, Intel based Win 8 tablet... their fortunes are tied into mass consumer take up of the Surface RT.

[MsDG]

I dissagree. With iOS and Android doing exactly the same with well established "app" stores already, why the fuck would you want to go down the MS route for just app store stuff?

[reverend]

The only way to get legacy x86 / x64 apps running on the RT OS running on ARM chips would be via emulation - and it wouldn't be quick!

[MsDG]

Q1: Is it true I have to buy all apps for my new Surface tablet from Microsoft’s Windows Store?

A: Yes. All Windows RT apps will have to be purchased through the Windows Store. But don’t feel too bad — Apple does the same thing with iPad and iPhone apps. Keep in mind that only RT apps will run on Windows RT devices. (The first MS Surface tablets will run only Windows RT. Surface tablets that run Windows 8 — and thus standard Win8 apps available everywhere — should appear in January.)

Q2: Will all Windows Store apps work on the new Microsoft Surface tablets?

A: No. This is another one of those bizarre gotchas that really make the Windows RT situation complicated. Some of the apps in the Windows Store will work only with Windows 8 machines — they won’t work at all on Windows RT. Other Windows Store apps are designed to work with Windows 8 Phones, though it isn’t certain whether a Windows Phone app will work on a Windows RT machine. Check before you buy.

Q3: I use LastPass to manage all my passwords. Will LastPass work with Lenovo’s IdeaPad tablets and notebooks?

A: Depends. If you get a Windows 8 IdeaPad, you can install LastPass on the Win8 Desktop and it will work with Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Firefox. However, if you buy a Windows RT–based IdeaPad, you’re up the ol’ creek without a paddle. Windows RT includes the Metro version of Internet Explorer, but that browser, by design, doesn’t support add-ons. (Now, try explaining that to your less-geeky family members.)

Q4: Are there significant differences between Office 2013 and Office 2013 RT?

A: Unknown. Microsoft has publicly shown only preview and beta copies of both. The final versions aren’t expected until next year.

Q5: Reportedly, new Windows tablets will come with Word 2013 preinstalled. Can I print documents from Word on my HP LaserJet?

A: Possibly. If you bought a Windows RT tablet (some tablets will run Windows 8), Word 2013 RT is included. But printing support depends on the model of HP LaserJet you’re using — some will work immediately with Windows RT, others won’t. HP has a lengthy list of supported and unsupported printers on its website. (Be sure to read the footnotes at the bottom of the page.)
Anticipate similar problems with any peripheral you might want to use with a Windows RT machine. Although Windows 8 driver support is nearly universal (every Win7 driver and almost all Vista drivers will work with Win8), Windows RT–driver support will be hit-and-miss.

Q6: Can I sync SkyDrive files with my new Surface tablet?

A: No. You can retrieve files from SkyDrive using the Metro SkyDrive app, but you can’t have the app automatically grab updated SkyDrive files and copy them onto your RT device (the way people commonly use SkyDrive on the Windows desktop). There are probably solid reasons why automatic sync isn’t supported — its impact on battery life could be one. That said, some future version of the Metro SkyDrive app might give you the ability to sync manually. (Battery considerations probably preclude any sort of automatic synching.)

Q7: Any problem with buying a handful of Windows RT tablets and using them in my small business?

A: That’s complicated. Currently, the only version of Office announced for Windows RT is Office Home & Student 2013 RT, which does not include Outlook. The other announced versions of Office 2013 won’t run on Windows RT. The license for the standard Windows version of Office Home & Student doesn’t allow for its use in a company, nonprofit, or organizational setting of any kind. So it’s highly likely that the license for the RT version of Office won’t cover use in your business, either.
You can, on the other hand, purchase a tablet that runs Windows 8 (such as the MS Surface Pro, due out early next year) and run any standard Office version.

Q8: Can I run Outlook on the new Microsoft Surface tablets? How about Windows Live Mail or Windows Photo Gallery?

A: No, no, and no. Any Surface tablet that ships before January will be running Windows RT. As already noted, Outlook isn’t among the Office Home & Student 2013 RT apps. Moreover, all Windows Essentials/Live Essentials programs are standard Windows apps; they won’t run on Windows RT, either (as should be clear by now).
The one exception: You can use Internet Explorer 10, running in Windows RT, to access the Outlook Web App, assuming you’re set up with Exchange Server and have OWA available. Try explaining that to your boss.

Q9: I own an iPad and sync it with my PC. Will I be able to sync my iPad with one of the new Windows Surface PCs from Microsoft?

A: No. At least not with the Windows RT versions of Surface. Because Windows RT doesn’t run traditional Windows programs, you can’t crank up iTunes and sync a Windows RT tablet with your iPad or PC. Apple might, however, eventually write a Metro-style version of iTunes (when pigs fly). Surface Pro, because it uses Windows 8, will run iTunes.

Q10: What do I do if I bought the wrong kind of Windows tablet?

A: Depends. I expect to hear this question about a hundred thousand times in the next few months. I assume some of the retailers and manufacturers will be lenient and allow you to return your purchase — if you can explain why you got confused in the first place. But it’s going to be painful to watch buyers explaining to store clerks that “Yes, there is a difference between Windows RT and Windows 8.”

[tagy]

Windows 8 comes in two forms. The "Full" version which you install on PCs and Laptops.... and the Window 8 RT (Real Toss) version for tablets.

The difference? The full version can run all legacy PC software, where are the RT version ONLY runs software from the new Microsoft App store. You cannot run legacy software on the RT tablets!

Windows 8 is the full version of the OS that runs on intel tablets/laptops/desktops, Windows RT runs on arm devices, mainly tablets for now. There is no product called Windows 8 RT.

So if you want a windows tablet that can run old software you want a Windows 8 tablet.

I am sure someone will hack windows RT to add more desktop software, but it seems unlikely it would ever run the software on your existing pc without modification due to the different cpu.

But yes it all very confusing and Microsoft have not done a very good job explaining what is going on.