Office 2013 RT for Windows RT tablets will ship as Preview, lack macros and other features

Microsoft is planning to remove certain features from its Office 2013 RT edition, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. The software maker is planning to ship a Preview version of Office 2013 RT as part of its Windows RT ARM-based tablets later this year. We understand the Preview edition will be upgradeable to a final copy that will be made available in early 2013.

To optimize for Windows RT, Microsoft has made the decision to remove a number of features from its Office 2013 RT release to ensure battery life and reliability are not impacted on tablet devices. Macros, third-party add-ins, and VBA support will all be dropped from the Office 2013 RT edition, and one source says a “small number” of other features have also been removed. We’ll have to wait for Microsoft to detail all of its changes, but although a spokesperson says the company has “not finalized any packaging,” we understand that Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 RT Preview will come preinstalled on all Windows RT devices.