Microsoft Office a big draw for Windows tablets?

Microsoft Office. A big advantage for Microsoft Surface, Windows RT, and Intel-based Windows 8 Pro tablets?

(Credit: Microsoft)

One of the cornerstones of upcoming Windows 8 tablets will be Microsoft Office, but will that be a deal-maker for buyers?

Any Intel-based Windows 8 Pro tablet -- like the one coming from Hewlett-Packard -- will be able to run the regular version of Office -- just as it runs today on any Intel-based PC.

And, in April, Microsoft preannounced that tablets running the RT version of Windows 8 will come with Office.

While there is speculation that Microsoft will initially ship a "preview" version of Office 2013 RT (upgradeable soon thereafter) and that the RT version will lack a few features, it's big weapon in Microsoft's arsenal nevertheless.

Big enough that Google acquired QuickOffice -- which offers varying levels of compatibility with MS Office -- in June in anticipation of the real version of Office making its way to mobile devices like tablets.

And big enough that getting ... [Read more]