Apps

Applications are the other pillar of a good tablet operating system. Finding and installing applications is one area where Windows has traditionally been complicated for end users. With Windows RT, Microsoft has decided to provide an application store as the sole source for third party applications. Finding and installing applications is as simple as clicking on the Windows Store, selecting the app, and hitting the install button. No guided installation windows, no UAC prompts, no nonsense.
Granted, the presence of the app store comes with the concession that Windows RT is more locked down that any previous version of Windows. It is no more egregious than the way Apple or Google do things, however. A curated experience is not necessarily a bad thing, and the simplicity factor will make apps more accessible to non power users. (Remember, there is always Windows 8 if you want the full freedom to install anything you want — Windows RT is specifically targeting the tablet market that wants an app device like the iPad).

Bundled software has also been beefed up compared to past versions of Windows, and Microsoft provides the staples out of the box including applications for mail, maps, contacts, calendar, weather, news, and web browsing. There is also SkyDrive integration to sync your photos, videos, music, and documents across devices. Photos, music, and games are also provided for with bundled applications. Additionally, Microsoft is providing a free version of Office 2013 with Windows RT that will provide you with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint running on the desktop app. The Office applications will work just like the Windows 8 versions, with the exception that advanced features like Excel macros are not supported. As far as productivity applications on a tablet go, Office 2013 appears to handily best the offerings on iOS and Android.
And, of course, the Windows Store will grant you access to applications that (generally) can also run on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. By pooling the devices together (thanks to the WinRT, or Windows Runtime, APIs), Microsoft is hoping to encourage developers to take up Windows 8 app development by putting out apps that will run on your home machine, work computer, tablet, and smartphone.

Security

Microsoft has further beefed up security by reducing attack vectors related to memory leaks, hardened the kernel, and locked down certain APIs to Microsoft-only applications. Further, Windows Defender is included out of the box, and it has grown to include anti-virus protection capabilities based on Microsoft Security Essentials. Application updates are managed by the Windows Store, and the control panel has been simplified to make managing your tablet as easy as possible. And in the unlikely event something should go wrong, Microsoft has included a Refresh tool that can restore your tablet to a pristine state.


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