Microsoft Announces Office For The iPad

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Microsoft has just announced Office for the iPad. I've embedded the announcement video here.

We know you’ve been wanting it, and starting today, you can download Word, Excel and PowerPoint for iPad from the App Store. The apps have the robust capabilities and familiar look and feel that is unmistakably Office, while offering a fantastic touch experience built from the ground up for iPad. With the free versions of the apps, you can read your Word documents, view your Excel data and present with PowerPoint. Your documents will look as good as they do on your PC and Mac®, and better than ever on your iPad.
 
Okay is it just me or does that look kludgy as fuck?
 
Awesome, an application I don't want on a platform that I don't like.

Seriously, I wonder how usable office type work can be done on an iPad or any other tablet for that matter.

The features look good, but I just can't see anyone wanting to do office work on a tablet.
 
Okay is it just me or does that look kludgy as fuck?

The basic interface looks quite similar to Office 2013, the ribbon UI actually works very well with touch on Windows tablets, the iPad UI is obviously more touch oriented. I would suspect that this will be similar to how the Windows modern version will look, along with Android and that's a good thing because Office will have a consistent look and feel across all platforms.
 
The features look good, but I just can't see anyone wanting to do office work on a tablet.

A lot of time people spend in Office isn't for lots of typing and editing for quick jobs or simply viewing. The most useful Office app on a tablet I think in OneNote which I use a lot with a pen.
 
It looks really good but I am not a fan of the subscription based software model.
 
Awesome, an application I don't want on a platform that I don't like.

Seriously, I wonder how usable office type work can be done on an iPad or any other tablet for that matter.

The features look good, but I just can't see anyone wanting to do office work on a tablet.

You say that but a lot of people are moving to tablets for work. I know we all like to protest about how the PC is here to stay and that nobody will ever give up their desktop, but people are going with tablets.
 
With the work I do in excel, there's no way in hell I could get it done on an ipad. I need 2x 24" monitors to get my job done.

This would be great however for reviewing files while at the airport, or elsewhere removed from your PC, but with ipad in the bag for entertainment purposes.

So while I won't be creating any new excel models with my ipad, I can at least have a good look at one of my analyst's PPTs or excel charts for example.
 
With the work I do in excel, there's no way in hell I could get it done on an ipad. I need 2x 24" monitors to get my job done.

This would be great however for reviewing files while at the airport, or elsewhere removed from your PC, but with ipad in the bag for entertainment purposes.

So while I won't be creating any new excel models with my ipad, I can at least have a good look at one of my analyst's PPTs or excel charts for example.

the thing is that everyone's miles will vary. Some people like you need huge spread sheets, others can get by on excel with 4 functions. So it won't work for you, but for the average person in excel. it will work just fine.

I also personally can't stand anything other than my 17" laptop with full keyboard and touch screen. but to others that is overkill for a laptop and think smaller is better.
 
You say that but a lot of people are moving to tablets for work. I know we all like to protest about how the PC is here to stay and that nobody will ever give up their desktop, but people are going with tablets.

So, if a lot of people were hammering a rusty railroad spike through their genitals, would you be as quick to defend the practice?

Bandwagoning for the lose...

Okay, maybe if someone's got a setup where the tablet acts like a glorified monitor, or they've just GOT to edit the thing and don't have the time to get in front of a real machine...

But as a primary productivity device? Ugh. Gag me with a drill press.
 
You say that but a lot of people are moving to tablets for work. I know we all like to protest about how the PC is here to stay and that nobody will ever give up their desktop, but people are going with tablets.

No, they are not (in the context of replacing their desktops/laptops). A miniscule percentage maybe.
 
With the work I do in excel, there's no way in hell I could get it done on an ipad. I need 2x 24" monitors to get my job done.

This would be great however for reviewing files while at the airport, or elsewhere removed from your PC, but with ipad in the bag for entertainment purposes.

So while I won't be creating any new excel models with my ipad, I can at least have a good look at one of my analyst's PPTs or excel charts for example.

Exactly. This is not a zero sum thing. People who are working with lots of Office content aren't going to give up large and or multiple monitor systems with mice and keyboards to do all of their work on a 9.7" screen using only touch. But they might want to view on the go, do presentations and do smaller tasks with a tablet and that works just fine in those scenarios.
 
Well one thing I will be happy about, is that the free version allows for content viewing.

That in itself is a bonus. The creation side, as some have said, depends on the usage model.

I am sure some will pay for it because for them a tablet is enough to make minor changes, or just some collaboration.

All in all, I am glad there is work being done in all platforms. I am not one of those that is PC or death. Freedom of choice is my preferred world.
 
With only 1GB DRAM max on iDevices minus whatever the OS uses it'll have major limitations as far as features and document size. Furthermore, there's also the issue of Office app closing in the background when task switching and losing whatever you were working on. Add to that non-optimal touch interface for spreadsheet and word, no mouse support for iOS like on Android and a $99.99 Office 365 subscription required this is doomed for failure.
 
With only 1GB DRAM max on iDevices minus whatever the OS uses it'll have major limitations as far as features and document size. Furthermore, there's also the issue of Office app closing in the background when task switching and losing whatever you were working on. Add to that non-optimal touch interface for spreadsheet and word, no mouse support for iOS like on Android and a $99.99 Office 365 subscription required this is doomed for failure.

If you are already paying for 365 you get this feature, this isn't an additional cost.
 
Add to that non-optimal touch interface for spreadsheet and word, no mouse support for iOS like on Android and a $99.99 Office 365 subscription required this is doomed for failure.

Not sure where you're getting the non-optimal touch notion, looks pretty solid overall in that regard. As for the subscription price, you get more than just a single iPad version.
 
Not sure where you're getting the non-optimal touch notion, looks pretty solid overall in that regard. As for the subscription price, you get more than just a single iPad version.

Compared to a keyboard and mouse?

Sure, it's nice in a pinch. But for everyday productivity? Pfft.
 
So while I won't be creating any new excel models with my ipad, I can at least have a good look at one of my analyst's PPTs or excel charts for example.


And you could do it with a "viewer" product or anything that can read Excel or PPTs.
 
That really looks great! It makes an iPad mini a lot more tempting to get since you can get Office without having to mess with a Windows OS at all which is a good way to avoid the current UI if Metro isn't for you.

With only 1GB DRAM max on iDevices minus whatever the OS uses it'll have major limitations as far as features and document size.

What's wrong with 1 GB of RAM? A lot of netbooks run Office on only 1 GB and a Windows OS plus integrated video processor and anti-virus software claim a lot more of that than iOS does. It might actually be a little better than a low end Windows platform with the same amount of memory. Unless you're working with big files in Excel (and if you are you should have used an actual database instead of a stupid spreadsheet) you probably won't have any problems with memory.
 
Compared to a keyboard and mouse?

Sure, it's nice in a pinch. But for everyday productivity? Pfft.

I wasn't trying to make a comparison between touch and KBM input, just that as far as touch goes this looks pretty good. Bottom line, Office is going to be among the most popular apps on the iPad, it's a forgone conclusion.
 
There are keyboards for the iPad, but if you use one you kinda get into that whole "may as well just get a laptop" thing since you're carrying around a lot of extra stuff just to enter text and all of that would be included in an inexpensive laptop without needing to buy accessories.
 
You say that but a lot of people are moving to tablets for work.

Only iPad's in use in my office are by a couple managers who use them for email.
The main reason they are using iPads is because their iPhone screen is too small from them to read their emails.

All the real work is done on desktops/laptops.
 
You say that but a lot of people are moving to tablets for work. I know we all like to protest about how the PC is here to stay and that nobody will ever give up their desktop, but people are going with tablets.
I could have used this app today on my iPad in several meetings, where documents were not in PDF but in Word.
 
It looks really good but I am not a fan of the subscription based software model.

"Software as a service" and "subscription based" are nicer ways of saying "pay forever" licensing model.
 
The fact that it properly supports track changes in Word documents is HUGE for me. It is an absolute necessity in my profession (legal) and my biggest complaint about productivity on the iPad. Again, as others have stated, not that it is a primary productivity device -- but for being able to review and make changes while on the go, this is huge.

I am, however, slightly surprised -- the lack of Office on the iPad is the primary reason why I keep testing out Windows tablets. As Win8 tablets are finally becoming respectable, this removes one of their key advantages over the iPad (from my perspective).
 
As Win8 tablets are finally becoming respectable, this removes one of their key advantages over the iPad (from my perspective).

They are? I must've missed that announcement, it certainly isn't in the sales data. In any case at least the new CEO is a bit more pragmatic than pigheaded Ballmer about expanding software to other more established platforms.

Put another way, Office alone wasn't going to sell Metro tablets for Microsoft and lead to measurable overnight gains. It's not the 90's anymore.O
 
I recently tried to buy a Surface 2 for my daughter, and they were sold out in most places.

Not sure if sales figures show that there is real demand though.
 
He only said "non-optimal touch" so he wasn't making a clearly explicit comparison between touch and KBM either.

It's implied because if it's not touch your only other choice is keyboard and mouse and because mind input isn't available yet.
 
I am, however, slightly surprised -- the lack of Office on the iPad is the primary reason why I keep testing out Windows tablets. As Win8 tablets are finally becoming respectable, this removes one of their key advantages over the iPad (from my perspective).

In a way Office is a bigger platform than Windows and practically Office had to expand beyond Windows and even desktops to remain relevant especially in mobile where Microsoft is very weak on the OS side. That said, even the cheapest Windows 8 tablets can run full Office, macros, add-ins, local files, connections to relations databases, things that will never be in mobile versions of the product. So yes, it is one less reason to get a Windows 8 tablet but 4 mobile versions of Office don't nearly cover all of the advantages. And I have a feeling that the Windows modern versions won't require a 365 subscription,

They are? I must've missed that announcement, it certainly isn't in the sales data. In any case at least the new CEO is a bit more pragmatic than pigheaded Ballmer about expanding software to other more established platforms.

Put another way, Office alone wasn't going to sell Metro tablets for Microsoft and lead to measurable overnight gains. It's not the 90's anymore.O

Well the sales data about Windows 8 tablets hasn't exactly been all that clear because the way Windows devices have been counted isn't exactly clear much of the time. The cheap Bay Trail tablets that have been around for about 6 months now seem to have some traction. For what they cost and can do they are pretty good and there's a number of people in this forum that would a agree with that assessment.
 
It's implied because if it's not touch your only other choice is keyboard and mouse and because mind input isn't available yet.

Pen input is actually common these days and that it can be very productive and more capable than even KBM input in situations like drawing and notion especially for math and science.
 
They are? I must've missed that announcement, it certainly isn't in the sales data. In any case at least the new CEO is a bit more pragmatic than pigheaded Ballmer about expanding software to other more established platforms.

Put another way, Office alone wasn't going to sell Metro tablets for Microsoft and lead to measurable overnight gains. It's not the 90's anymore.O

I am basing "respectable" on my personal experiences -- I couldn't care less about sales data :)

Comparing my Fujitsu Q550 Windows 7 tablet to the Dell Venue 8 Pro (which was about a third of the price), the improvements are remarkable. A lot of that has to do with Intel's hardware finally matching what Windows needs to run well (while being lightweight and getting good battery life).
 
They seem to work well enough. I already had a 365 account as a student so the only odd part is that I had to start the app in the free mode, then had to 'activate' it in the lower left corner of the main screen. After that it apparently associated with my 365 account and I can create and edit everything. Haven't played with them much because I just downloaded them, but, they seem responsive and load up just fine. I figure Word will be the one I use the most, as writing in it works just fine as it's not quite so involved as Excel. Powerpoint should also be relatively comfortable to use, though I rarely use it. The iPad with keyboard are still a fair bit lighter, easier to carry, and quite useful for when I'm out and about compared to even my fairly small 13" MBP. Though, if I had the 11" or 13" MBA I might very well opt for those over the iPad.
 
I am basing "respectable" on my personal experiences -- I couldn't care less about sales data :)

Comparing my Fujitsu Q550 Windows 7 tablet to the Dell Venue 8 Pro (which was about a third of the price), the improvements are remarkable. A lot of that has to do with Intel's hardware finally matching what Windows needs to run well (while being lightweight and getting good battery life).

So then really you're talking about Intel's advancements. No arguments there, but ultimately a separate topic.
 
Comparing my Fujitsu Q550 Windows 7 tablet to the Dell Venue 8 Pro (which was about a third of the price), the improvements are remarkable. A lot of that has to do with Intel's hardware finally matching what Windows needs to run well (while being lightweight and getting good battery life).

I still have an HP Slate 500, the same compute hardware as the Q550 if memory serves and the difference between those old Atom platforms and Bay Trail is indeed remarkable.
 
So then really you're talking about Intel's advancements. No arguments there, but ultimately a separate topic.

They aren't solely Intel's advancements. You couldn't just stick Windows 7 on a Dell Venue 8 Pro and have the device work nearly as well as a tablet with touch as Window 8.1.
 
Anyone know why this requires a FRONT facing camera? Or a camera at all? Why isn't a rear camera enough?

I try not to be a conspiracy nut but with the original notion of requiring kinect on every xbone, this seems very shady...
 
Anyone know why this requires a FRONT facing camera? Or a camera at all? Why isn't a rear camera enough?

I try not to be a conspiracy nut but with the original notion of requiring kinect on every xbone, this seems very shady...
On the iPad? For facetime. Family uses it tons, and its easy to switch in between talking to someone and showing them something with the press of a button.

"Bla bla bla, miss you guys, look I made this cake today" (presses button to switch to back camera, then back to front camera to talk) "bla bla bla oh yeah and Shaniqualique says hi" (switches to back camera to point at her)

Its pretty useful.
 
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