“Smaller” Windows 8 Tablets To Get Office 2013 For Free

Aside from announcing that Outlook 2013 will be coming to Windows RT 8.1 later this year, Microsoft has revealed at Computex 2013 that all new “small” x86 tablets running Windows 8 will come with basic Office 2013 apps for free.

So far, there are few details regarding what products will be eligible for the bundle, what version of Office will be included and whether it will be a time-limited deal, but we do know that Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote will form the free package.

Only x86 Windows 8 tablets will qualify for the bundle, as they are the only devices able to run the full version of Windows 8. The ARM processors used to power Windows RT devices, such as the Microsoft Surface RT, can’t run x86 applications and will miss out.

This follows with what we’ve seen in recent tablet launches, such as the 8-inch Acer Iconia W3, which comes with a free copy of Office 2013 installed out of the box. Expect more information about Windows 8 and the inclusion of these Office 2013 apps at BUILD 2013, Microsoft’s developer event scheduled for later this month.

Microsoft is also adding a version of its Outlook email and calendar app to Windows RT — the version of Windows 8 that runs on ARM-based chips from Qualcomm and Nvidia. Prior devices, such as Surface RT, came with only Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, along with a custom e-mail and calendar program.

“We’re always listening to our customers and one piece of feedback was that people want the power of Outlook on all their Windows PCs and tablets,” Microsoft said in a statement.