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Microsoft Reportedly 'Actively Working' on Office for iPad and Mac App Store

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office 2011 icons
The Daily reports that Microsoft is "actively working" on bringing its Microsoft Office suite to the iPad, looking to take on Apple's iWork applications for the popular tablet device. The report also says that Microsoft is working on a updated Office for Mac suite, with the new version said to be targeted for a Mac App Store release sometime next year.

According to sources, the tech giant is actively working on adapting its popular software suite for Apple’s tablet. With the iPad making up over 80 percent of the tablet market and millions of people worldwide using Office, that could mean big bucks for the tech giant based in Redmond, Wash.

In addition to an iPad-ready version, a new edition of Office is expected for OS X Lion sometime next year. The current version of the desktop package, Office 2011, officially supports [Mac OS X] versions up to Snow Leopard. A Lion version, likely available via the Mac App Store, is widely expected.

Microsoft acknowledged just after the iPad's introduction in early 2010 that the company was "looking at" the possibility of bringing Office to the iPad, but by the time the device actually launched a few months later the company was saying that it had "no current plans" for such an offering.

Tag: The Daily

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Top Rated Comments

W
w00master
190 months ago
I was supposed to read the logos as, "WHO?" right?

What's the advantage of this over iWork though? I'm asking from an ignorant standpoint. I really don't know.

Why does MS Office necessarily need to have an "advantage?" Isn't more 3rd party support for iPad (and iOS overall) good? I think it is.


Then again, this is a news report on Microsoft on an Apple site... I shouldn't be surprised for the start of negative feedback. :rolleyes:

Aren't you guys tired of this PC vs. Mac stuff? I am. Let's move on.

w00master
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
firestarter Avatar
firestarter
190 months ago
I've never really liked Word - but Excel absolutely blows Numbers away. It would be great if Office was 'unbundled' so that each app could be bought cheaper on the App store. An iPad version would be awesome too!
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bigsk8r Avatar
Bigsk8r
190 months ago
...but Excel absolutely blows Numbers away.

Amen!!

I gave iWork and honest, 3 month, all out usage... I even removed all MS from my MacBook Pro to force myself to learn the Apple system. Keynote rocked (as good as PowerPoint), Pages was usable (almost as good as Word) and Numbers was a complete waste of time.

Even though I am a total Apple fanboy, I have to admit that there is only one intuitive, widely supported, easy to learn spreadsheet. It's name is MS Excel.

If Office comes to the iPad with 70%+ of the desktop versions features, it will sell big.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
L
laserbeam273
190 months ago
Awesome! Go Microsoft!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mkrishnan Avatar
mkrishnan
190 months ago
I don't see any advantage. I could see it on a regular computer but not a tablet. There's only so much you can do with a spreadsheet on the iPad.
The big advantage in my mind of Office in general is that it's 100% compatible with Office. If my office used iWork (or LibreOffice), I would be happy never loading Office again, even though I actually really like some of it (Excel especially).

But I do agree -- these apps so far are a bit cumbersome on touch screen. Who knows. Maybe MS will come up with something interesting. Even if they didn't "surpass" the desktop experience but just inched closer to it, it would be a big improvement.

I also agree with the comments above that MS (like any other large software vendor) embracing Apple's app stores is good for consumers.

*cough* even consumers who just bought a certain competing product on Cyber Monday sale *cough*
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
KPOM
190 months ago
This would be a good move by Microsoft. Quick Office, Pages, and Documents To Go all lack some features that are in the full Office, and while I don't expect Office for iPad to have everything in the Mac or Windows versions, it could have more than other iPad apps.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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