Tablet Version of Microsoft Office Coming to Android Before Windows 8 Tablets

[dgstorm]

Whodathunkit? The tablet version of Microsoft Office which recently released for iOS will be coming to other tablets very soon. The big shocker is that it will actually hit Android tablets before it comes to Windows 8 tablets. Don't worry... we scratched our heads over this one too. According to the new Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, the main reason it will come to Android first is marketshare. As you can see from his Tweet above, under his leadership, Microsoft has renewed its focus on making its Office software as widely available across multiple devices as possible.

Currently, the plan is to make the Android version of the touch-first version of Word, Excel and Powerpoint available before the end of 2014. According to the latest scuttlebutt, the The Metro-Style Windows version of the bundle is now looking more like spring 2015 launch. There's even more to this than just these tidbits though. Here's a quote with a few more juicy details,

The other date in play here is when Microsoft plans to deliver the Metro-Style Gemini/WinRT versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. My sources say the new plan is to make these commercially available in the spring of 2015. (I'm not clear if a preview/beta version of these Gemini apps will be out before year end.)

That spring 2015 date also is when Threshold, a ka "Windows 9" is expected to hit. The timing isn't likely coincidental, given Microsoft is believed to be building at least one Threshold SKU that won't include a desktop. Such a SKU would require a version of Windows that doesn't need the desktop/Win32 environment to run. That's when the Metro-Style/Windows Store versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint become a necessity, not just a nicety.

What do you think of Microsoft's decision on this matter? Are they finally getting back to being serious about their products again? Do you like the direction that the new CEO is taking the company?

Source: ZDNET

 

[dougpaw57]

Whodathunkit? The tablet version of Microsoft Office which recently released for iOS will be coming to other tablets very soon. The big shocker is that it will actually hit Android tablets before it comes to Windows 8 tablets. Don't worry... we scratched our heads over this one too. According to the new Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, the main reason it will come to Android first is marketshare. As you can see from his Tweet above, under his leadership, Microsoft has renewed its focus on making its Office software as widely available across multiple devices as possible.

Currently, the plan is to make the Android version of the touch-first version of Word, Excel and Powerpoint available before the end of 2014. According to the latest scuttlebutt, the The Metro-Style Windows version of the bundle is now looking more like spring 2015 launch. There's even more to this than just these tidbits though. Here's a quote with a few more juicy details,



What do you think of Microsoft's decision on this matter? Are they finally getting back to being serious about their products again? Do you like the direction that the new CEO is taking the company?

Source: ZDNET

If you are running Office 2013 on a Surface Pro, there is already a setting to tell Office you are using a touch screen device. I found this right after I upgraded from 2010.

Outlook 2013 Touch Screen mode - Slipstick Systems

 

[kristalsoldier]

I am not sure if I like this. While I have no problems with MS making their software available across platforms, I think it behooves them to make sure that their "home" platforms get the first release else MS/ Windows users will end up asking an impossible-to-answer question - why should I stick with the MS/ Windows eco-system.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

I am not sure if I like this. While I have no problems with MS making their software available across platforms, I think it behooves them to make sure that their "home" platforms get the first release else MS/ Windows users will end up asking an impossible-to-answer question - why should I stick with the MS/ Windows eco-system.

This is the type of behavior by Microsoft is what I've been rallying against. And I think that it might reveal a few things that some may not want to hear.

Maybe Microsoft was not as committed to the Modern UI as they publicly proclaim.

Perhaps the internal churn on the Modern UI APIs has caused difficulties.

Is it possible that "the other shoe" will be dropping regarding Surface RT/2?


The Surface tablets were announced 2 years ago (this June/18 to be exact). One of the reasons given for having desktop Office on the Surface RT was because Modern UI Office was not ready. Here we are 2 years later and there's talk of it being available some time in 2015.

Microsoft did an outstanding job with Office for iPad, but it is inexcusable that Windows will be the last to receive a touch-friendly version of Office.

... cue Microsoft-apologist response about the marketshares of iOS and Android...

 

[jnjroach]

... cue Microsoft-apologist response about the marketshares of iOS and Android...

Nice - use a line to discount anyone who may disagree with your opinion, this rates with the reporter - ".....do you enjoy it when you beat your wife Mr. Mayor?" Mayor - "No..." Reporter interrupting - "So we can quote you...Mayor doesn't enjoy it when he's beating his wife..."

All of these are rumors, and it is quite possible that if there is a delay it is a reasonable explanation that it will launch in conjunction with Office 16 which is rumored to launch in Q2 C2015 with Windows 9....

 

[WillysJeepMan]

Nice - use a line to discount anyone who may disagree with your opinion, this rates with the reporter - ".....do you enjoy it when you beat your wife Mr. Mayor?" Mayor - "No..." Reporter interrupting - "So we can quote you...Mayor doesn't enjoy it when he's beating his wife..."

All of these are rumors, and it is quite possible that if there is a delay it is a reasonable explanation that it will launch in conjunction with Office 16 which is rumored to launch in Q2 C2015 with Windows 9....

That's hardly the same thing.
But go ahead and offer that rely... it is inexcusable in my opinion for Microsoft to release a touch version of Office before their providing one for their own tablet OS.

 

[daniielrp]

That's hardly the same thing.
But go ahead and offer that rely... it is inexcusable in my opinion for Microsoft to release a touch version of Office before their providing one for their own tablet OS.

Oh have Microsoft made a tablet OS? Must have missed that cus all I see is the same thing we've had since Windows XP Tablet PC edition - a desktop oriented OS with some touch functionality tacked onto the end of it. Even RT still has all that legacy desktop/explorer/control panel nonsense.

The difference here is that iOS and Android were both designed for touch, so an Office for them is a brand new app. For Windows tablets, so far they seem to be just trying to meddle and alter the code for the desktop app to make it work with a touch screen, which works, but not very well really, and is what we have at the moment.

IMO, as much as a like Windows RT, it should never have been made. MS already have a touch optimised OS in the form of Windows Phone, which can now scale to 1080p screens, so this is what should have been used for their tablets. This would have forced MS to do the same as they had to with iOS and Android - create a brand new fully touch optimised version of Office for Windows.

 

[lparsons21]

For those that haven't used the iOS version of MS Office, it ain't perzackly the same thing as the full fledged version on Windows. It is missing lots of things that power Office users would like. I fully expect the Android version to be the same.

If/when MS does come out with a real touch version of MS Office I would think they'd want it to be the full fledged version.

Of course, I'd like to see MS get a new version of Office out for the Mac too...

 

[jnjroach]

Office 2013 offers a Touch Mode and more functional version of Office than those released on iOS. Also keep in mind that Office on Competing Platforms require an Office365 Subscription which puts much more money in Microsoft's pocket.

 

[daniielrp]

Office 2013 offers a Touch Mode and more functional version of Office than those released on iOS. Also keep in mind that Office on Competing Platforms require an Office365 Subscription which puts much more money in Microsoft's pocket.

^This.

While a completely "Touch" version may be out on other platforms first, the best experience with all features and functionality can still only be had on a Windows 8/RT device.

 

[dougpaw57]

Folks, settle down and go to the link I inserted into post #2. Go in, set up for touch, and quit bashing Microsoft for something they've already done.

 

[daniielrp]

Folks, settle down and go to the link I inserted into post #2. Go in, set up for touch, and quit bashing Microsoft for something they've already done.

What you mean making more space in between the buttons? That's hardly comparable to creating a fully touch optimised version of Office.