Office 2013 RT Edition: RT For Reduced Technology?
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Office 2013 will be the latest version of Microsoft’s flagship Office suite. This will also be made available for Windows RT, which is designed to run on ARM-powered tablets and will be called Office 2013 RT Edition.
However, Office 2013 RT Edition will be cut-down compared to the x86 version, missing features such as macros, third party addons and VBA support. These are all features that light Office users may not miss, but more advanced users most certainly will. The rationale is apparently to improve battery life and reliability as part of Microsoft’s optimization for Windows RT. However, since the x86-based tablets can run the full version Office with all these features enabled and will have all the same battery life issues, this explanation doesn’t wash. Surely, Microsoft could simply disable the features by default and show a pop-up warning should the user wish to enable them? Simply removing them isn’t looking after your customers, so there must be another reason for this move.
None of this makes Office 2013 RT Edition or Windows RT sound like a compelling purchase, does it? So, what does the ‘RT’ stand for – Reduced Technology?
We’ll have to wait for Microsoft to detail all of its changes, but although a spokesperson says the company has “not finalized any packaging,” we understand that Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview will come preinstalled on all Windows RT devices.
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