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Microsoft: Relax, You can Use Office 2013 RT for Work Too

Oct. 17, 2012 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

I’m always amused by the silly little controversies that Microsoft seems to find itself in. Yesterday, when Surface with Windows RT device sales started, eager buyers noticed an alarming little footnote about the bundled version of Office: It can only be used for non-commercial use, which apparently means the device is useless for business. Not so, says Microsoft.

The firm reached out to me last night (which isn’t as creepy as it sounds) to explain what’s happening. And let’s just say that this controversy—go figure—isn’t one.

But first, the background: If you visit the Microsoft Store online, currently the only place online from which you can preorder a Surface with Windows RT tablet, and view the Technical Specs for the product, you will notice a little footnote attached to the phrase “Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT Preview.” It reads:

“Microsoft Home and Student 2013 RT Preview edition installed. Final Office Home & Student version will be installed via Windows Update when available (free download; ISP fees apply). Some features and programs unsupported. Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview and the final version are not for use in commercial, nonprofit, or revenue generating activities.”

(That emphasis is mine.)

Cue the freakouts. And the anti-Microsoft bloggers—here’s a completely random example—jumped right on this non-story in a bid to quell momentum for the Surface.

The thing is, Microsoft is aiming Windows RT, and thus Surface RT, at both consumers and businesses. And it has announced a coming management infrastructure for Windows RT in businesses. So how could this be true?

Sorry, that was a trick question. It isn’t true.

“I wanted to clarify Office on Windows RT devices for non-commercial use,” a Microsoft representative told me last night. “The answer on our site was incomplete. While Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview and the final edition are not designed for commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities as sold, organizations do have options for using the applications commercially – including purchasing commercial use rights or licensing any edition of the new Office with commercial use rights.”

According to Microsoft, you will be able to obtain commercial use rights for Office RT via Office 365, Office Standard or Professional Plus 2013, a Commercial Use License (which will be detailed in the coming days), or through volume licensing. The way it was described to me is that you simply obtain a regular Office 2013 license and can then use Office 2013 on the RT tablet commercially.

In other words, nothing to see here. Sorry, haters.

 

Discuss this Article 5

Jimmy (not verified)
on Oct 17, 2012
"nothing to see here" Not really. There is plenty to see here. The fact that if one didn't know how to upgrade to the commercial license, they knew they were in a jam. Most people do know they will eventually have to buy a commercial license or get the regular version of the Office product. However, I am like many people who cheat. I might use my own version of Office at home and then take the same file to work. Most people don't freak out. A blog post isn't in itself a freak out.
AdamMyhr
on Oct 17, 2012
While I agree that the freak-outs are over-reacting to incomplete information, it's not quite "nothing to see here" either. Unless I am mistaken "purchasing commercial use rights" involves sending Microsoft more money than what you already sent them when you bought the tablet. Lacking details lets assume it is $50. The lowest price for the other listed options is either $140 one time or $100 every year, so this is not outside the realm of possibility. So, after spending $599 to get the lowest price Surface you can get with a keyboard you then have to spend even more if you plan to use office on it for anything more than personal documents and such. A business has no problems as they likely already have volume license agreements. Some people will buy a desktop or laptop (probably the former) as a companion, and it might very well include a license for Office that enables commercial use. However, Microsoft is telling me that tablets are PCs, so I'm thinking I should not have to buy a companion. Now I do have to pay extra (or buy a copy of office for a computer I do not own) by almost 10% of the purchase price to get permission to use Word on my new "PC" to create a document in my freelance writing side-gig. Or if I use Excel to create a spreadsheet for that non-profit I volunteer time at. Or if I bring my own device to work and use PowerPoint to give a presentation. End of the world? No. Calling it nothing makes you as guilty as people who call it the end of the world though, just in the other direction. That said, my next laptop is likely to be a Surface, Surface Pro, or OEM equivalent in about a year or so.
Timothy Tripp (not verified)
on Oct 19, 2012
Well, it's a pretty big deal to me personally. I use Macs in my business and iPads, but might have picked up a Surface just to have access to Office, which looks like it might be a little more mature on the Surface than iWorks on my iPad. iWorks is a decent set of products, and they are all built from ground-up for touch, but unfortunately they don't always import documents (especially spreadsheets) created with Office 11 by my associates, without having formatting issues. The thing is, I now find out that I can't USE Office RT without buying a $100/yr or at least a $219 Home/Business license. For ONE user. With Apple, I paid $49 for 5 users and get all the iWork products for commercial use. Microsoft may have a slightly better product, but it's not THAT much better. I was hoping Surface would be a solution but it's not. And now I'm thinking that if Microsoft ever DOES put out an Office for iPad it will also be restricted to non-commercial use unless I shell out those same licensing fees. I guess that's the difference between Apple, who makes a large portion of their revenue through hardware sales, and Microsoft, who needs to make almost all their revenue through software licensing.
jccalhoun
on Oct 17, 2012
Adam is dead on. I am looking forward to Surface RT but Strike 1) Real Office will not run on RT, just some half baked desktop but not real desktop Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (and I want Outlook) Strike 2) The half baked Office RT that "comes with" Surface cannot be used for "commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities?" In my case it would be better if Microsoft did not include Office RT versus including software I am not allowed to use. We all agree owners of Surface RT cannot use the device as sold to do commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generating activities. In my opinion this is very much something to see (and hard to believe). Lacking GPS and cellular options was hard enough to believe.
brians (not verified)
on Jan 12, 2013

"nothing to see here" How can you say that? What if you're a micro-business and the RT device is intended to be the end-user's only device? I mean isn't that the point of devices like the Surface, it provides both the tablet and laptop experience?

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