MS still calls it a desktop even though it can only run office at the moment. Windows RT will lose the desktop and will combine with Windows phone OS and will be sold on devices 8" and under. Devices 9" and bigger with x86 will be sold with Windows 9 or Windows Next or whatever they call it.

John
 
To me a desktop in windows is for running programs. It has evolved from the DOS prompt. The use of a desktop without being able to run programs is of very limited use.  I fully understand what Windows RT is for. 
 
Apps don't meed a desktop. 

John just to be clear I'm not trying to argue here. However your statement above seems to contradict itself. When you say Apps are you referring to Windows Store Apps? And is that how you are drawing a distinction between 'programs' and 'Apps'?
 
My experience with my Surface RT is such that my Surface 'what-ever-you-want-to-call-it' looks and performs almost identically to my Windows 8.1 Desktop. I have my Taskbar and it has customized embedded Toolbars just like Win 8.1. It has application (and custom programs I wrote) Shortcuts pinned to it as does my custom Toolbar. The only significant difference as an end user is I can't have some of my favorite apps/programs (like Sonar, Chrome, and Maschine to name a few). I do have the Office Suite (Lite) and that is all I need for that particular bit (i.e. my Surface RT) of my arsenal. This last bit is the reason why I agree with Alex on ARM chip and compilation options.
 
So call it what you will, MS refers to it as the Desktop and I do too.
 
Regards,
 

Windows RT vs Windows 8: software and compatibility
There's a big difference here: Windows RT comes with Office preinstalled, and Windows 8/Pro doesn't. However, Windows 8/Pro are compatible with existing Windows programs and Windows RT isn't. Windows RT apps must use the Microsoft-style interface, although Windows 8 programs can use the traditional Windows desktop too.

Windows RT also restricts what APIs (application programming interfaces) developers can use, especially for web browsers. As Mozilla's Harvey Anderson puts it, "only Internet Explorer will be able to perform many of the advanced computing functions vital to modern browsers in terms of speed, stability, and security to which users have grown accustomed."
 
The above is taken from here http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-vs-windows-rt-whats-the-difference-1086980
 
My understanding is no program can run on Windows RT. Only apps can, Metro apps. If one is able to run programs it must be Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro not Windows RT.  

John
My understanding is no program can run on Windows RT. Only apps can, Metro apps. If one is able to run programs it must be Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro not Windows RT.  

Again that's because they aren't compiled under ARM. The RT version of office included with RT is compiled under ARM. Sorry nothing to do with the UI whatever MS makes you want to believe (marketing mumbo jumbo). BTW Windows store apps must be compiled specially to be used for RT of course as it's a different chipset, see here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/jj863300.aspx
 
The "desktop" is not required for native Windows apps either.... just start Windows, then start notepad. Then kill the explorer.exe in task manager.... bingo no desktop but notepad running totally fine. Want to bring back the desktop just run explorer.exe and bingo it's back. So the "desktop" (explorer) is merely a native windows app itself. The "desktop" is simply a shell. Therefore MS calling native windows apps "desktop software" frankly is totally confusing and wrong, for it's not running the app under explorer.exe!! Personally I don't think they like using the word "incompatible" as it might give them bad press, so they invent different and confusing names they think windows users could understand. However Windows RT really is nothing like Windows 8 other than looks alone.
 
In a nutshell RT is basically a great pretender.... RT and windows 8 share basic programming libraries which makes life slightly easier for developers but it is far from optimal right now, maybe Windows 9 will resolve it and converge development platforms.
 
All apps are compiled differently whether it is windows phone, windows 8 or windows RT, not an ideal situation right now but suits the hardware platforms they are targeted in today's technology.

Alex are you saying Sonar will run on a Windows RT system? 

Sonar has not been developed for the ARM chipset so far (ARM probably would not be powerful enough anyway). There are also no versions of Sonar for Linux or Windows phone :). The point is Windows RT is an entirely different OS that shares tools that make life easier for developers to port across under the guise of something that looks like native "Windows".

CakeAlexS
Sonar has not been developed for the ARM chipset so far (ARM probably would not be powerful enough anyway). There are also no versions of Sonar for Linux or Windows phone :). The point is Windows RT is an entirely different OS that shares tools that make life easier for developers to port across under the guise of something that looks like native "Windows".

I think you are looking at this the wrong way. The same apps that you say are developed for an ARM system also run fine on an Intel system. I run apps from the store along side programs. It is the ability of Windows 8 to run apps and programs that makes it different from Windows RT. Not the platform it runs on. 
 
I think we are saying the same thing but with a different emphasis. I'll agree that Windows RT is a different OS but only because it wont run "legacy" programs. After all that is what matters to the end user.    
 
 

slartabartfast
 
If you followed the default setup for Win 8 or 8.1 you set your machine with an account that requires Microsoft Live ID, but you probably do not want to re-install the OS just to change this perverse behavior. You can pretty easily add a new local account to your current installation and log on to that account without using a Microsoft Live ID or going to the cloud every time you log in.
 
.
 

CakeAlexS

 

 
Thanks guys. The "local account" option is always there, and but some stuff is disabled if you don't use a Microsoft account. In fact, I was using a local account (and I still have a local account on that computer) when I discovered that that Calendar wouldn't load, because I was using a local account.
 
Appreciate the suggestions, though.
 
 
 

Calendar is not the only "Modern" app that requires a Microsoft account to run. This is the Microsoft equivalent of standing outside the school yard offering samples of heroin to the kiddies. Synchronization of course will require someplace in the cloud to store your settings. But there is no good reason why these apps could not be made to work on local accounts except that MS wants you hooked on their version of the cloud. Enjoy.

John

CakeAlexS
Sonar has not been developed for the ARM chipset so far (ARM probably would not be powerful enough anyway). There are also no versions of Sonar for Linux or Windows phone :). The point is Windows RT is an entirely different OS that shares tools that make life easier for developers to port across under the guise of something that looks like native "Windows".

I think you are looking at this the wrong way. The same apps that you say are developed for an ARM system also run fine on an Intel system.

 
Sorry this is not so. The Windows Store carries both the ARM and x86/64/Windows phone separate packages of the metro app which have been compiled separately, each build needs separate considerations when doing so. So it's not the same app at all, it's four apps that look similar. The app will only run on the platform it is targeted. Yup it may look the same but it ain't.
 
It's a bit like saying a 64 bit plugin will work on a 32 bit system, it won't... you need a 32 bit version. But Windows store will just give you the package you need anyway so you don't even have to think about it (but make no mistake it ain't the same software!)... 
 
 
There is some crossover with the development tools used to develop the applications. Metro apps are reliant on the .NET framework. The WinRT framework stack is a subset of the full .NET Framework stack (so it's different). At some stage RT and Windows phone will probably converge however.
 
http://www.howtogeek.com/180225/arm-vs.-intel-what-it-means-for-windows-chromebook-and-android-software-compatibility/
 
http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2012/08/28/the-old-yet-new-firestorm-windows-rt-sandboxed-limiting-performance-api-access-certain-apps/
 
There is a similar situation with Native instruments apps running on Mac and PC, hard to tell the difference between them (there are subtle differences however and the innards are entirely different therefore two different packages are required). If you had the same "store" that served PC and Mac for this software you might be conned into thinking it is the same software. Maybe you could rebrand the Mac "WinMac RT" as it appears to be running the same software as the PC with this NI example :).