How much difference is there between Windows RT and Windows 8?

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How much difference is there between Windows RT and Windows 8?

stephenb 33 weeks ago

I've been thinking of getting a tablet, and I can either wait a bit longer for a Widows 8 tablet, or get a Windows RT tablet pretty much today. I haven't used Windows RT or Windows 8 except for Windows 8 beta on a laptop. The screenshots I've seen make the two look almost identical. Is it worth waiting for a Windows 8 tablet, or is Windows RT close enough that it doesn't really matter?

Tags: tablets, Windows 8, Windows RT

Topic: Operating Systems

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jimlynch 33 weeks ago

Apparently, you can only run Metro type apps on Windows RT. That rules out all of the desktop applications that most users are familiar with from Windows 7 and other previous versions. This is going to be very confusing for some users. I think WIndows RT's days are probably numbered. Windows 8 will probably end up replacing it at some point if RT devices don't sell well.

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rousseau 33 weeks ago

I'm not sure about all of the differences, but there are certainly enough to warrant waiting for Windows 8. Remember that RT was designed to run on the kind of ARM chips that smartphones use. There are quite a few applications that Windows RT cannot run, like anything but the newest versions of Office. Hardware support differs between the two as well. RT also limits your software choice to things you can download from the Windows App Store, or whatever they call it. Let's see, what else: RT doesn't Windows Media Center or Windows Media Player, which is kind of a big deal for a media consumption device.

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