Hasta La Gadget!

The playing field in the world of Windows tablets became a bit more level today, as Microsoft has announced that Office Home and Student 2013 will be bundled for free with all Windows RT computers. Perhaps the move shouldn’t come as a complete surprise, as the company had previously revealed the inclusion of Office on its own ARM-based Surface tablet. For those who’d feared that Microsoft wouldn’t play fairly with its hardware partners, however, it seems that at least some of those concerns can be put aside. Naturally, everything you’ve come to expect in the Home and Student edition will be there, which includes Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint. If you’re unsure of what to expect, be sure to check out our recent preview of the productivity suite.

Filed under: Tablet PCs, Software

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 to be bundled on all Windows RT tablets originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whether it’s put off by Microsoft’s own push into tablets with Surface or just taking a wait-and-see approach, HP has now confirmed that it won’t be among those offering ARM-based Windows 8 (or RT) hardware when the OS makes its long-awaited debut later this year. That possibility was first reported by SemiAccurate earlier today and has now been backed up by Bloomberg, which has the official word straight from HP spokesperson Marlene Somsak. She noted that HP will instead be focusing solely on x86-based devices, a decision that she says was “influenced by input from our customers,” adding that the “robust and established ecosystem of x86 applications provides the best customer experience at this time and in the immediate future.” What’s more, Somsak went on to say that HP’s first Windows 8 tablet will focus on the business market, which certainly lines up with the leaked device pictured above that surfaced a few months back.

HP plans to hold off on building ARM-based Windows tablets, focus on x86 instead originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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