Windows RT

Windows RT is the name of Windows 8 on ARM-based devices and is not to be confused with the Windows Runtime framework present on all builds of Windows 8. The successor of Windows RT is Windows RT 8.1.

History/features
Windows RT was initially tested on smartphones with Windows 7 code. Later, was shown at CES 2011, running on Intel Atom (x86), Texas Instruments OMAP (ARM), NVidia Tegra (ARM) and Qualcomm Snapdragon (ARM) development hardware.

Microsoft have said all software for Windows RT will be downloaded through the Windows Store and Windows Update. Traditional desktop applications will not be able to run on Windows RT, instead they must be written for the Metro environment. Some exceptions to this restriction are the core Windows applications (i.e. Windows Explorer), Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office 2013, which will come with every production Windows RT device. This restriction has prompted Mozilla and Google to criticize Microsoft for employing anti-competitive actions.

It will run on the Texas Instruments OMAP, NVidia Tegra and Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM platforms. The devices Windows RT will run on will be certain Microsoft-approved devices; a run-of-the-mill Android tablet or Windows 8 PC's will not be able to run this version.

Limitations
As Windows RT is meant for ARM tablets, it won't work on current Windows desktops. A major limitation of Windows RT is it's inability to run native desktop programs, meaning that the apps are to be from the pre-installed apps or apps from the Windows Store. However, a hack was found that can allow Windows RT to run native desktop program, albeit only ARM-level ones. However, there is no proper hack to completely let this to happen, however the script can be set to run on startup. Some of the ported ARM apps include PuTTY and a Bochs emulator. Also some Windows 8 features are missing from (like Windows Media Player/Center).

Pre-Milestone 1

 * 6.1.7652

Milestone 2

 * 6.2.7867

Beta

 * 6.2.8194.winmain.120127-1917 (Beta Escrow)

Release Candidate
Note: There is no public Release Candidate of Windows RT, instead, these builds are (presumably) forked from RC-level code.
 * ''6.2.8330.0.fbl_woa.120424-2227
 * 6.2.8400''
 * 6.2.8422.0.winmain.120524-1848
 * 6.2.8422.fbl_core1_soc_partner.120525-1923
 * 6.2.8424.fbl_woa_drop.120530-2000

Post-RC

 * 6.2.8432.0.fbl_woa.120611-2000

RTM

 * 6.2.9200