Microsoft Office for iPad is Now Free to Use; Testing Android Tablet Version & More

[dgstorm]

Here is some Microsoft, Apple and Google news all wrapped up into one, and it isn't a lawsuit! After you have recovered from that shock, here's the news...

Microsoft just announced that their Office for iPad product will now offer basic editing as a standard free feature on the iPad, just like it is for Android phones and the iPhone. You will still need an Office 365 subscription to get some of the more advanced features and editing tools, but most of those will only be necessary for business users anyway. This is amazing news for Office users on the iPad.

There's more news to go along with this, and it applies to the iPhone and to Android tablets. First, Office for Mobile for iPhone has gotten a huge redesign. Instead of the convoluted mess we had before, Office for Mobile iPhone is now three standalone programs including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and each of them has the same excellent tool set found in the iPad version.

The final tidbit is for anyone who has an Android tablet. Apparently, Microsoft is in the public beta-testing stage to offer Office for Android tablets as well. It too will include stand-alone apps Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and will probably function just as it does on the iPad.

Oh yeah, there is one final P.S. - Microsoft also announced there is a touch-friendly version of Office in the works for Microsoft's own OS, but that won't be ready until Windows 10.

Source: Engadget

 

[Kif]

I like this new Microsoft!

On another note I think it was a major fail not to release a touch centric version of Office with Windows 8.1. If any company should know the importance of releasing a must have application with an OS it should be Microsoft. Way back when Microsoft used Office to slay the competition.

 

[GreyFox7]

I like this new Microsoft!

On another note I think it was a major fail not to release a touch centric version of Office with Windows 8.1. If any company should know the importance of releasing a must have application with an OS it should be Microsoft. Way back when Microsoft used Office to slay the competition.

Mistakes were made, hopefully they continue on the path to a better place.

 

[Kif]

Mistakes were made, hopefully they continue on the path to a better place.

Sorry if I sound a little crusty. I just got back from doing some training at Microsoft. I got into a very heated debate with some Microsoft employees about the failings of Windows 8. Their opinion is that Windows 8 is totally awesome and it was unfairly bashed by the critics who hate Microsoft. I couldn't believe the arrogance. I don't want to rehash the issues with Win 8.1 but the bottom line is that it failed in the market.

I'm hearten to see the humble approach that Satya Nadella is taking and how he's really embracing a non-platform centric approach. I believe this can really help repair Microsoft's branding which has taken a big hit over the years.

Rant mode off

 

[GreyFox7]

Sorry if I sound a little crusty. I just got back from doing some training at Microsoft. I got into a very heated debate with some Microsoft employees about the failings of Windows 8. Their opinion is that Windows 8 is totally awesome and it was unfairly bashed by the critics who hate Microsoft. I couldn't believe the arrogance. I don't want to rehash the issues with Win 8.1 but the bottom line is that it failed in the market.

I'm hearten to see the humble approach that Satya Nadella is taking and how he's really embracing a non-platform centric approach. I believe this can really help repair Microsoft's branding which has taken a big hit over the years.

I come down somewhere in between... It wasn't totally awesome and it was unfairly bashed by the media some of whom reversed themselves after nine months without so much as an I'm sorry.

There's always room for improvement but it wasn't unusable. I picked up Win8 in about 2 hours. Yes I have been known to walk onto a site to work on a generation of equipment I've never even seen before and fix it so I might be the exception.

Once you grasp a few basic concepts you can get on quite well with Win8. Win 10 will undoubtedly be better some will probably say "its what 8 should have been" which is what I said about XP and Exchange 2003 with respect to the 2000 versions. Progress does not always come smoothly.

 

[Kif]

Yeah, I think it's a mixed bag. On the positive it's very stable. I like some of the new technology added to it including the Metro UI which is really well done. It's ability to run things in split screen mode is second to none. There's just something not right about the flow of things.

I've often find myself ziggy when I meant to zag. As an explanation switching back and forth between Metro UI apps and desktop apps sometimes leads to a blank screen. A modern OS should never lead you to a black screen unless that's what you wanted. If I remember right the original batch of reviews weren't to bad. They sort of soured over time.

 

[Moonsurface]

I liked that the Microsoft band works with Android, Iphone and Win phone, that was cool.

I just hope Google can get over their current not supporting apps for windows stance.. it's a shame. I've been put off google a lot lately - though I still use Chrome and sign in on my desktop and at work as I'm a bit of a Chromoholic... !

 

[Kif]

One other funny thing. I've also gotten into heated arguments with people where I defended Windows 8.

 

[InspectHerGadget]

I think all this Office available free is a good gesture.

Ironically (Moronically), my passwords contained in a Password Protected Spreadsheet can't be opened on a Windows Phone. Stupid. You can't do stuff on their own products that I think you should be able to do.

As far as Windows 8, it was a slap in the face with a wet fish for the average desktop user. It didn't come up to reasonable usability really until W8.1 Update 1. Windows 8 itself was designed by geeks for geeks then after the shit hit the fan, they started to improve upon that effort.

 

[GreyFox7]

I think all this Office available free is a good gesture.

Ironically (Moronically), my passwords contained in a Password Protected Spreadsheet can't be opened on a Windows Phone. Stupid. You can't do stuff on their own products that I think you should be able to do.

As far as Windows 8, it was a slap in the face with a wet fish for the average desktop user. It didn't come up to reasonable usability really until W8.1 Update 1. Windows 8 itself was designed by geeks for geeks then after the shit hit the fan, they started to improve upon that effort.

So sad to see people Parroting Internet Memes, your standing is lowered to Parrot 3rd class.