One of the main limitations of Windows RT is that most 32- and 64-bit applications aren't compatible. Therefore, if you are buying a Microsoft Surface and intend to install all your favorite Windows programs, then you're going to have a bad time. To remedy this issue, XDA Recognized Developer GoodDayToDie has begun an initiative to get some desktop apps compiled for RT users.

So far the initiative has gotten attention from a number of users and developers. To begin with, everyone has been focusing on re-compiling free, open source software to work on Windows RT. Here is the current list of applications that have been ported already:

Bochs. x86 Emulator. Known issue: no network support.

TightVNC. VNC server and client.

PuTTY Suite. SSH/Rsh/telnet client and helpers. Printing fixed in this build.

7-Zip. Utility for file archives and disk images.

Notepad++. Powerful but simple text/code editor. New direct link:

SciTE. Code editor (Thanks to XDA-Devs member FearTheCowboy)

IP Messenger. Peer-to-peer chat/file transfer.

Unikey 3.1. Vietnamese character entry tool. This version is out of date, but is the latest with full source code available.

Unikey 3.6. Known issue: without RtfIO, the "Toolkit" and "Conversion on the fly" features won't work. (Thanks minhtuan99bk)

CrystalBoy. Nintendo Gameboy emulator. Known issue: uses GDI+ instead of DirectX, may reduce performance. Reported issue: JIT is broken so games don't actually play (unconfirmed). Thanks to DXA-Developers member daveoggy.

In addition to working on the porting, GoodDayToDie is also keeping a running list of applications that work without modification. These include Mouse Without Borders and Keepass Portable. This is a great initiative by everyone involved, and it continues the great development currently in progress for Windows 8 and RT. Also, do check back on the list frequently, as both lists are sure to grow.

For more details, check out the original thread.