Windows RT version for tablets. Is Windows RT so scary? How to install apps on windows rt
Microsoft managed to develop a version operating system for tablets called Windows RT. Thanks to it, users can feel all the conveniences of new items. This OS is great for touch devices. Anyone who wants to get this OS can buy windows 8, or rather one of its versions of Windows RT.
In this operating system, the user can place, sites, applications and contacts as he pleases. Windows RT allows you to extend the battery life of your device. Quick access to apps and mail, so you're always ready to go. Most of the features of Windows RT are similar to Windows 8. The only difference is that you can't use old apps on the former. In the OS for tablets, users can see the new interface Modern (another name for Metro). You can see different tiles on the screen. These tiles may be updated from time to time. In order not to get lost in the new interface, it is advisable to study it.
Those who buy windows 8 will be able to see the updated interface. Windows RT also has the familiar “Desktop”. It lacks the Start button and a completely different color scheme. To launch it, you need to click on the tile with its image on the start screen.
With the help of the app store in this operating system, you can download new apps to your tablet. Only the store itself is a bit unfinished by the developers.
Windows RT comes with a good set of applications out of the box. They are able to make the user experience as efficient as possible. Among them are the mail client Mail, browser Internet Explorer, music player, the Office 2013 Home & Student application suite.
Anyone who wants to become owners of the version of Windows RT can purchase it in online stores along with tablets. It is also possible to buy windows 8.
If you look, Windows RT almost completely copies the components of Windows 8. The tablet version contains applications that can help a blind person work with the device. Although such applications are not fully developed. They allow you to perform only the most basic tasks and work only with simple applications.
This operating system is used on devices that have ARM processors. You can buy Windows RT only on installed tablets. Among them are ASUS VivoTab RT, Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11, Surface RT. With Windows RT, you can safely engage in work and play. Each device has its own unique characteristics. OS for tablets takes them all into account.
The new operating system is distributed in several dozen languages, including Russian. If the user wants to go somewhere, then there is no need to turn off the tablet. You can put it into sleep mode. As a result, less energy is used. You can get back to your business much faster. Now Windows RT is happily used on many tablets.
Update system - principles of operation and time
In Windows RT, they did not philosophize, but simply transferred the update policy and principles from the desktop version of Windows. This means that each program, as well as the operating system, receives its updates separately. Moreover, unlike iOS / Android, where operating system updates are rare and in the form of a single file, in Windows RT this happens for each component of the system. For example, only the browser or some services can be updated, and so on. In terms of responsiveness, this is a win-win option, which, however, has serious flaws in the mobile world.
The first is the frequency of updates. The operating system checks them every two days and, when an update is received, installs it and then reboots. This flaw cannot be somehow bypassed. After a reboot, all your open applications, work files, and other information are not reopened (information is not lost, but the state of the tablet and open programs- none of this) In my opinion, this is a huge drawback for a mobile device and for a tablet.
Another point is the update rate. Here I ran into a simply indecent waste of time. For example, installing the MS Office service pack took 45 minutes. And this is after downloading the installation files, only clean install on a tablet. Installing the 106 MB Russian language pack took about 10 minutes and also after downloading the file.
Some updates that require a computer restart take tens of minutes to install. For example, in this video you can see how it happens.
I am not mentally prepared to wait ten minutes for the system to reboot, then to start working with it. It just goes beyond any common sense. And it's also a legacy that Windows RT grew out of the desktop. It seems to me that the update system should be redesigned so that the system starts quickly and the update does not take so much time. It is not pleasant to look at the screen and wait for the system to update itself, not really understanding what it is.
Email client - plus People, Messages, and Calendar
The logic is mysterious, why four applications were added to one package at once - "Mail", "Messages", "People" and "Calendar". At the same time, the Metro interface has separate tiles for each function of one application. Let's try to deal with each of them and start with mail.
Quality on tablets mail client becomes an important factor, people read letters, respond to them. The only tablet manufacturer that decided to release a device without mail support was Blackberry - as a result, the company hastily completed the client, as users simply did not realize such a revolutionary approach.
From Microsoft, I expected a program that, although it will not work like MS Outlook, will present it in a light, beautiful package. a large number of functions. I was completely disappointed, since the problems begin with the registration of any POP account (there are those in the list, but the program does not support them and asks to change the type to IMAP).
Trying to set up corporate mail I have failed. An attempt to set up my MS Exchange also failed because the "Accept all SSL certificates" option is missing. It is possible that you are lucky or you use only Gmail or other network mail, then there should be no questions. But for those who are focused on corporate mail, there is room for a headache. And it's genuinely frustrating.
Another point, widely publicized in one of the first videos about Surface, is the long start of the application. This is a common situation for most pre-installed programs after a system reboot and before the first call. You need to wait a dozen seconds, a second call takes a couple of seconds at most. For all tablets on other OSes, the program loses in this (there is no difference whether the first one is the launch or the second one, the same time is spent).
In the mail settings, you can find exactly one possibility - to group mail by conversation. And that's it. If you were expecting something else, for example, filters, the ability to customize mail for yourself more carefully, then there is none of this. In the settings of individual accounts, you can set a signature for messages, specify whether external images will be loaded, set the refresh rate. And nothing more.
My frustration with the mail is indescribable. This is not a working tool, this is a crutch that will suit housewives who write one or two letters and do not require absolutely anything from the program. Considering that it is impossible to install MS Outlook (it is not bundled with MS Office for RT), and there are no other mail programs for RT, I don't know what to say. This is just a fat minus that spoils the impression of the OS and devices on it.
Messages
This part of the application is another attempt to embrace the immense and offer the consumer the opportunity to communicate in the Live messenger or Facebook Chat. There are no other options for Messages. It looks all the more curious that Live is disappearing and will be merged with Skype. Facebook Chat directly receives your messages, but there is a small snag. In my case, he lost about half of the messages written to me. Why? Don't know. But he didn’t even understand this issue, since the value of this “application” is rapidly approaching zero. Its clarity, convenience, to put it mildly, do not stand up to criticism.
People
This is not only a notebook with people's contacts (you can get them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Outlook, Hotmail, Google, and also get them on Twitter or Skype). Recently it has become fashionable to add notifications from social networks to such programs, this one is no exception. You can see everything related to messages for you on one screen - such a “tape” looks rosy and rich - not very convenient. You can also answer from the program. Someone might like the idea of viewing his messages on social networks for each contact. But usually people prefer to read the entire tape. Why they invented the wheel here, I absolutely do not understand. There are third-party social media clients, they are much better, although they do not live up to programs on other platforms.
Calendar
Just like Mail, the calendar cannot be considered similar to the application familiar from the desktop version of the OS. This is a heavily stripped-down version. You can make new notes, synchronize with network services. Extremely simple and concise.
MS Office - for students and at home
The main complaints about all Windows tablets up to advent of Windows RT were the presence of fans, short operating time, gluttony of the system, not different from laptops. And it was not in the full sense of mobile devices. With the release of Windows RT, everything has changed, but Microsoft's logic in the matter of adapting the office is beyond comprehension. So, for Windows RT, only the version for students and home use is offered, it is included in the package. And this is a huge plus, which is widely emphasized. A real office on a tablet. In fact, the office is convenient for viewing files (it reads all formats, there are no problems with this - it full copy normal office). You can correct something from time to time (it's long and unusual to do it manually from the screen). But to work fully office suite without using the keyboard is decidedly impossible. This package was simply transferred to Windows RT and minimally adapted for finger control. Most of the menus are very openwork, which creates a dissonance with all the programs for tablets, where the controls are made visible.
The mystery and inconsistency of this decision also lies in the fact that in the first half of 2013 MS Office will appear for the Android and iOS platforms, the developer, as you might guess, is Microsoft. And these versions are adapted to work with touch screen. Moreover, they have all the advantages of the current versions of Office, and there will also be an analogue for Windows RT. The only difference is that Office for other platforms will have to be purchased, while on RT tablets it comes pre-installed and is usually free.
Another illogical decision is that for some reason Microsoft believes that in the corporate sector they should choose only Surface Pro and similar tablets with fans, low battery life and full-fledged Windows 8. And any version of MS Office is available there. The problem is that if your organization uses only licensed software, then you cannot legally use Office in Windows RT (there is simply no license and corresponding version for the corporate segment). It doesn’t fit in my head, since it was Windows RT that was created for tablets and this is the company’s main product that can be mobile. Windows 8 does not have the advantages that Windows RT has, although they are spoiled by the company's ideology.
I see no point in describing each of the programs included in the package. The OneNote interface is slightly different from a similar program on Windows 8, but the differences are not drastic. Other programs are like two drops of water similar to the desktop version.
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In my opinion, there is only one way to get the most out of MS Office - if you have a keyboard. In its absence, the package is not so convenient in editing mode, but it allows you to view files, if necessary, edit something. And there are a lot of all kinds of “buts”, one of the key ones is whether such a bundle is needed in a tablet. Initially, back to the first iPad, people rushed to buy the Pages program, as well as connect external keyboards to type texts. The number of those who tried to create such a tablet use case was notable. But, according to my observations, this scenario did not take root, after all, the tablet acts as a device for reading information, and not for creating it. In this aspect, I would like to see MS Office as simple and convenient as possible for finger control, quick creation presentations. But not an exact copy of the desktop version, adapted for touch screens.
And most of all, it touches me that when you select a line for entering text in Office programs, it does not automatically appear screen keyboard she needs to be called!
For myself, I could not decide whether I like the presence of MS Office on Windows RT or not. In my scenarios of use (a lot of work with text, including on the road), I have never had the desire to try to make edits on a tablet. Sometimes I read texts from the mail, but that's all. Perhaps this is a separate topic for talking about scenarios that we will cover in the MS Surface review. For some, having a full-fledged Office is vital.
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App Store - Software Availability
Windows RT uses the Windows 8 kernel, but that's where the similarities end. In particular, applications for this operating system must be written separately, and their number at the moment is not amazing. About a hundred programs, most of which are of no interest. At all. There are almost no games and they have long been known on other platforms.
I was surprised by the fact that Windows RT apps tend to take up more space than those on iPad or Android. It turned out that the application contains all the graphics for different resolutions (up to 2560x1440 pixels), while on the same iPad, the developer can upload an assembly of the application for a specific resolution in the store. In practical terms, this explains why applications take up more space. I don't see this as a particular problem, I'm embarrassed by the fact that the enthusiasm of developers and the emergence of a large number of developments for Windows RT are not yet visible. Developers usually focus on popular platforms, as in this case, the chances of app sales are higher. In the case of Windows RT, the popularity of the platform raises one big question, so you can expect the core applications to come from Microsoft. Just look at the "Games" (New) section to make everything clear with the activity of the developers.
The cost of applications that are presented is at the level of other platforms or more expensive. The pricing policy does not imply dumping, so there is no need to talk about the greater availability of existing applications at a cost.
Weather
There is no point in describing the Weather app, except that this is the first application in my memory that shows ads. This is a pre-installed program and various banners are shown on the third screen. In my opinion, this is disrespectful to buyers of devices on Windows RT. Some manufacturers use advertising (like Amazon), but then they charge less per device, and users consciously subscribe to this model.
Internet Explorer
In the first part of the review, I noted that IE is presented in two variations - on the desktop (maximum settings and the old interface) and in the new Metro UI. In the new version, there are no settings, but there is gesture control (return one page forward or back). This is the tenth Internet Explorer.
The browser works quickly, there are no complaints. It displays the content of various sites well, scales to fit the screen, zoom works both with two fingers and by double-clicking on the text. Fast, pleasant and having quite a sufficient number of settings. For all the time I looked at about a hundred sites, I did not experience any problems anywhere. The disadvantages include the lack of synchronization of bookmarks with other computers, but this can be solved by installing add-ons (I did not come across one). But in theory it should appear quickly. It is possible that somewhere there is such an option, but again I could not find it.
Multimedia - music and video
Built-in applications for playing music and video are made in the style of Metro UI, someone may like them, but I would still like to see a full-fledged one Windows Media player. He is not here. However, as well as support for FLAC and other formats out of the box - only the most basic and familiar. In the video, the situation is approximately the same, to which is added the lack of support for subtitles, "heavy" formats and HD-video in these formats (AVI may not be read at all, sometimes it is read, but the picture jerks). In my opinion, this is a performance issue. specific programs, no codecs. As soon as third-party players appear, these shortcomings will be resolved. The only question is when they will appear. At the moment, Windows RT has a loss to Android tablets from Samsung (support for all possible codecs), as well as iPad ( third party programs like VLC).
For some reason, when playing a video, the screen brightness is dimmed all the time, the picture becomes not very bright. The user cannot influence this behavior of the system, tested on three tablets from three different manufacturers.
Other programs - Skype, voice prompts and more
In no case do I aim to thoroughly describe all the programs that are in Windows RT, you have already read the main thing about the operating system and its capabilities. But there are several points that also affect the perception of the OS and its usability. In particular, there is the Narrator app. It is called by a long press of the center key and starts to sound everything that you press on the screen. Made for those who can't see well. And it's great that people with visual impairments are taken care of. But. It so happens that very often this program is launched by accident. And it turns into torment. It is difficult to type a password to unlock it, to do something else too. In a word, it was necessary to make sure that the assistant did not accidentally start, and then everything would be fine.
In the gallery, you can view images, scroll through the list, change the size of pictures, and highlight the ones you need. Everything is usual. There is a separate small utility for quickly viewing files, including graphics. A couple of times I caught XPS on the fact that the program simply hung up.
It remains to be said about Skype, which can be downloaded from the store. This app has a Metro style look and absolutely terrible navigation. The convenience of previous desktop versions seems to be completely forgotten, it's hard to navigate in the contact list. I don’t know what to say here - you can only use it under duress, and very quickly on a tablet with Windows RT I gave up even trying to do this - I switched to a phone.
Microsoft's latest approach to trying to create a competitive offering in the tablet market has once again failed miserably. My expectations were too high, I can safely admit it. But what I encountered in practice turned out to be just an unfinished and raw product, which traditionally will be brought to mind for a long time. The only problem is that ideologically a lot of controversial decisions are embedded in the architecture of Windows RT and these decisions will not allow creating a truly mobile OS. It is on the exact same hardware as Android, manages to be less energy efficient (minus 15-20 percent, depending on the mode of operation). And these are congenital sores that cannot be corrected.
The update policy is completely inappropriate for a mobile OS. To fix this shortcoming, Microsoft will have to come up with a crutch in the form of remembering the operating state and then launching programs, restoring the last state of the system. Finally, I didn't dwell on viruses for Windows RT at all, there are already a sufficient number of them (through browser vulnerabilities). The similarity of the browser and the same kernel allow viruses to target users not only on desktop systems, but also on Windows RT. In iOS / Android, the level of browser protection is orders of magnitude higher, there is just a different ideology of this application.
What can I say in the bottom line? A very crude, unfinished operating system that was created from scraps of existing desktop versions and adapted to ARM processors. There are not so many amenities, there are many more problems and disadvantages. This operating system is perfect for you if you work for Microsoft and you cannot use iOS / Android. You can’t call it mobile, but most importantly, thoughtful. And the marketing games that it's almost desktop, almost real Windows, and also Office, should be forgotten. General flaws in ergonomics are too great to be in a mobile device Windows usage RT was comfortable or acceptable.
More screenshots of applications that were not included in the review:
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Eldar Murtazin ()
Hacker C. L. Rokr found a way to bypass the program signature verification mechanism when running in Windows RT. Thus, it becomes possible to install and run arbitrary desktop applications under Windows RT.
Windows RT - special Windows version 8 optimized for ARM processors. It is usually installed on tablets, including proprietary Microsoft surface. There is no Windows Media Player in the package, and the only desktop applications can only be those that come with the operating system: these are File Explorer, Internet Explorer and Office RT. Going forward, only apps built using the cross-platform Windows Runtime APIs can be installed on the device. Having received the appropriate digital signature, such an application can be installed on Windows RT. It is forbidden to port or run desktop applications on Windows RT from older versions of Windows.
The operating system performs signature verification on application startup. In his blog, the author writes that the exploit became possible due to the care with which Microsoft ported the operating system code from the x86 platform to the ARM platform. They have ported the code so precisely that even the relative memory address 0x19FFA6 has the same function here - to store a byte that matches the minimum code signature quality level that is acceptable to run the application. The value “0” corresponds to the absence of a digital signature. The value "8" corresponds to a digital signature approved by Microsoft. Maximum value“12” are Windows system components.
On x86 computers, applications run with a minimum level of “0”, and under Windows RT they must have a signature quality value of at least “8”. This setting is stored directly in the kernel and cannot be changed. However, after the system loads it into memory, it can be changed directly in memory. The exploit author managed to inject the necessary code into memory through the CSRSS (Client/Server Runtime Subsystem) process, a component of the Windows kernel, using a debugger that modifies CSRSS data in memory. Thus, it was possible to load the code that changes the value of “8” to “0” at a known address.
Perhaps someone is using the work C. L. Rokr and release a simple utility that will do all the work without having to deal with the debugger. In any case, the jailbreak will need to be repeated after each OS startup. As is the case with mobile devices, this is called "tethered jailbreak".
The hacker is calling on Microsoft to remove the unnecessary "marketing" restriction on running Win32 applications on Windows RT, or at least let users decide for themselves which programs they can run. That is, make verification of digital signatures a disabled option.
Let's say from the very beginning - Windows RT is not the same as Windows 8. And Photoshop, Dreamweaver or anything else will not work on it. With the exception of the pre-installed Microsoft Office.
This knowledge will immediately save you from a lot of disappointments. But it does not answer the main question - what applications are available for Windows RT And which ones should be installed immediately after purchasing the tablet?
There is traditionally no universal recipe, but we can offer you 10 Apps for Windows RT which will be useful to almost everyone. There are not many of them in the Windows Store at all, so the problem of choice as such is unlikely to exist yet, however, developers should soon start filling the store with applications and then our ten best apps may be useful to you.
1.Metro Commander
Windows 8/RT does not have a preinstalled file manager, and Metro Commander allows you to conveniently manage files in the Metro style.
2.Firefox
A browser loved by many, which, however, has not yet reached the release version.
3 Skype
Another "must have" for all platforms has long been owned by Microsoft and it would be strange if it did not come out on Windows RT.
4 Minesweeper
If you're feeling nostalgic for the good old days, use this Minesweeper option.
5 Cut the Rope
Cut the Rope is one of the few quality gaming apps for Windows RT so far. It is all the more pleasant that it was made by our compatriots.
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