Comparison Windows 8 vs Windows RT: which one is for me?

There are only a few days left for the week of presentations around Windows 8, both in its PRO and RT flavor. The response from the industry has been impressive with previews of dozens of Windows 8 products from the main manufacturer brands, as we have promptly informed you in Xataka Windows.

But the question that future users of these devices are asking themselves is: Which one best suits my needs?That is why today I share my opinion, from the point of view of a user who has been using this new operating system since its first Preview version in September 2010, about which device best fits each profile.

Windows 8 PRO, power, content creation and mouse

The computers that have the most demanding requirements in each and every one of their elements are those machines whose use includes videogames. Right now to move a next-generation game, it is necessary to have a "machine" with hardware to match. Which leads me to the conclusion that this guy As a user, regardless of the level of dedication, you must necessarily go to Windows 8 PRO.

The second question to ask when choosing between the two versions of Windows 8 is: Do I have programs that run on Windows 7 that should run on my Windows desktop? 8 PRO?; because the version intended for chips like AMD or Intel's i-series supports all the legacy software from previous versions (yes, you could even run MS-DOS programs).

This leads us to a special group of users who should opt for this system, which are all those who generate content intensively, such as software developers, company managers , audiovisual content generators, etc. In other words, those users who use their computers professionally to build information, not including “light” information generators, which in the Windows RT part I explain by which are most suitable for that version.

Another very important reason is the full support provided by Windows 8 PRO to USB connections If we want to connect a multifunction printer from three or four years ago, or a graphics tablet that improves the resolution of the touch screen (if any), or a steering wheel to take a few Live For Speed ​​races, or a 3 ½ disk drive to recover that backup of more than 10 years ago, or connect to the POS at the counter; in any of these cases the decision is clear.

I give you a real example, I write most of the articles on two devices: a PC to play, but due to its situation it is the perfect place to write as it has no interruptions, and an ultrabook to start or finish the items on the armchair in the living room, in bed or in those places that men love to spend time while nature goes its way.

This means that I'm a hybrid Windows 8 PRO user as I need a powerful machine for writing and photo editing , being able to play with medium quality, and separate the tablet and take it for a walk around the house while I read, or review information. In addition to being able to write on a plane, on a train or in the pleasant place that I was referring to in the previous paragraph, without having to take the keyboard and mouse with me. It is a dream come true.

Windows RT, tablets with Office and the ability to produce content

Its direct competitor is the iPad, the most powerful MP4 player ever but a machine with very low productivity. Android tablets, due to hardware and software quality (especially the latter) have not been able to take off and Windows 8 RT devices should ">.

Windows 8 RT is designed to occupy the niche of Apple's tablet, that is, consumer users of audiovisual media, who generate very little content. On the other hand, with the “light” version of Windows, to the current large public would be added the professional users who use the Office suite on a daily basis, such as executives, sales representatives, managers and any professional who needs to work in Excel, write in Word and be able to create PowerPoint presentations, and who can do it on a touch screen or with a complexity that does not require Windows PRO.

Mobile phone users are also perfect candidates for Windows 8 RT tablets, as they will have all the power and ease of use of the phone, whatever the operating system, but with the enhanced capabilities of having Windows 8 RT behind it.

In particular, the integration of Windows Phone 8 with tablets (either RT or PRO) will be very important and thus we will have what we have been waiting for so long, being able to access our information and tools anywhere of our devices.

Synchronizing the Kindle Library

As a sample button, I refer to the excellent Amazon Kindle application, which keeps my library in sync between all my reading devices (two Kindles, a Windows 8 PRO ultrabook and a Windows Phone 7), the book I'm reading.And even the last page in my last reading was done on any of my devices.

It is also ideal for children, regular users of the multimedia features (especially videos and simple and educational games) of today's tablets. You only have to see a "short" two or three year old handling an iPad or Samsung to see their Pocoyo episodes a thousand times.

Another great advantage to take into account is the future as light clients of complex programs in the Cloud (Azure, Amazone, etc. ), in its pure or hybrid form. For example, he alth applications that store patient histories in the Cloud, accessible in an encrypted and secure way from anywhere in the world through a WinRT tablet and that can include written information, graphics, photographs and videos taken with the device itself.

I'm not talking about Web applications, which will continue as or more alive than today with their intrinsic limitations, but rather desktop applications with a level of imbrication with the operating system that a program that can't provide runs inside a browser.

The biggest difference in the choice is that the shortcomings are those that define the type of user who will outgrow the Operating System , at least at first. The main and most decisive being that there is no complete Windows behind it, as is the case with Windows 8 PRO.

We will have to see the drivers that the RT version includes and if it will be possible to be able to plug in any USB device and not only recognize it but also allow it to be used. And if the industry is willing to write generic drivers that support older devices.

Another shortcoming, to take into account, is that the migration of the current Windows7 software will be minimal since the Windows RT desktop does not support the previous applications when using different libraries internally. Although the forecasts, due to the ease of migration that means a relatively low cost, are that most software companies will be interested in making versions for Windows RT of their products

Conclusions

Deciding which version of Windows 8 is best for me will be very easy in most cases . It all depends on the needs to build content or the power needed by the applications I use.

I would start by thinking of Windows 8 RT, which is valid for the vast majority of people who use a Smartphone or tablet Android or iPad. And if I detect that I have to use a Windows 7 program and that there is no version in the Store, or that I carry out a personal or professional activity that exceeds the hardware capabilities of ARM tablets or the operating system, then I would go to a Windows 8 professional.

Taking into account that, finally, both operating systems will work on tablets, hybrids, ultrabooks, laptops and portable tablets (over 19"), on desktop computers, on mobile phones, etc.

Special Windows 8 in depth