Some of the absent features include macros, add-ins, and features that rely on ActiveX controls or third-party code, as well as legacy features such as the ability to play older media formats in PowerPoint and edit equations written in Equation Editor 3.0, used in older versions of Office.

Also not included are some email sending features, because Windows RT doesn't use Outlook or other desktop mail applications. Users can send Office content with the OS's native mail application.

In Excel, it's not possible to create a Data Model, although PivotTables, QueryTables and Pivot Charts work. Users can't record narrations in PowerPoint.

With OneNote, users can't search embedded audio/video files, record audio/video notes, nor import from an attached scanner, although it's possible to insert audio/video notes and scanned images from another program, according to Microsoft.

To prolong battery life, Microsoft designed Office for Windows RT in a way that reduces the number of times it "wakes up" the CPU, especially when the user isn't actively interacting with the device. The suite also takes advantage of the battery friendly features of the devices' ARM System on a Chip processors.