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Microsoft Office for iPad said to arrive soon, Microsoft calls claims 'inaccurate' - Page 3

post #81 of 130
2/21/12 at 9:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post


Also, please explain to me how one downloads apps on a Windows Phone, because I'm assuming the process is so different? Thanks.

You assume incorrectly. Windows phones are also restricted to a single software vendor.
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post #82 of 130
2/21/12 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post

your argument is semantic, but it is nevertheless fair.

Allow me to retract and restate:

Consumers who choose to use the App Store will continue to have all the protections that they currently enjoy.

Yeah, I was probably a bit overly pedantic on that one.
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post #83 of 130
2/21/12 at 9:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone View Post

I wonder how sandboxing works with MS Office and iWork apps. Will iWorks still be able to open Office docs? Apple's strict regulation of certain aspects of apps might get a little complicated.

We have yet to see how they are going to handle the upgrades to iWork apps. Are they going to be free like they said, or are they going to break the rules and charge for them? Will docs created in one app be accessible to another app? They are not supposed to be.

As to sandboxing -- I suspect the next release of OSX and iOS will refine and broaden the definition of sandboxing/sharing:

1) Any app can register with the OS for the kinds of documents it is interested and can handle.

2) Any app can register with the OS for other apps it wishes to "fast switch to" with a documents -- e.g. document is open in Pages switch to Mail without changing documents -- just change apps.

3) A given app can create a document that is:
-- private (current implementation)
-- public -- read only
-- OS managed -- checked out and updated by any authorized app/user one-at-a-time.

There already is some of this going on in iOS for Apple apps:
-- iOS iMovie you can access iTunes Music and the camera roll with an OSX-like media browser
-- iOS Avid Studio cannot do this directly... no media browser API, so it must read all the music/video/photo entries and build its own index.

"So at the end of the presentation, Steve came up to me and said: Is the iPhone worth criticizing? And I said: Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world."
– Alan Kay –
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"So at the end of the presentation, Steve came up to me and said: Is the iPhone worth criticizing? And I said: Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world."
– Alan Kay –
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post #84 of 130
2/21/12 at 9:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post

What's your best guess on price ... I'm thinking it has to be more that iWork apps if only so as to seem better ... maybe $19.99 a module?

That would be my guess too.
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post #85 of 130
2/21/12 at 9:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post

What's your best guess on price ... I'm thinking it has to be more that iWork apps if only so as to seem better ... maybe $19.99 a module?

Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post

That would be my guess too.

Yeah, that's the sweet spot -- and some reasonable free/fee options for iCloud and SkyDrive.
"So at the end of the presentation, Steve came up to me and said: Is the iPhone worth criticizing? And I said: Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world."
– Alan Kay –
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"So at the end of the presentation, Steve came up to me and said: Is the iPhone worth criticizing? And I said: Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world."
– Alan Kay –
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post #86 of 130
2/21/12 at 9:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by maccherry View Post

I wonder if MS crippled the functionality of Office for iPad. Remains to be seen.

That would the most stupid move for Microsoft to make. Office for iOS needs to be 100% functional equivalent to the PC version, or the crowds will object!
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post #87 of 130
2/21/12 at 10:02am
What would the "tablets are toys" trolls say now?
"And just like that, everyone here realizes you're just another sweaty little Google licker with an axe to grind and no idea what he's talking about." --addabox
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"And just like that, everyone here realizes you're just another sweaty little Google licker with an axe to grind and no idea what he's talking about." --addabox
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post #88 of 130
2/21/12 at 10:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by damage976 View Post

With the upcoming SkyDrive release for Mac, this seems like a better all-in-one Cloud synched product than the current market offerings, which rely on DropBox or Evernote connectivity. That being said, I believe Microsoft will charge their usually premium pricing (probably $20 for each product).

As for the stability and usability of the products, well, that is another story.

Hmm. Is Apple willing to accept an app that syncs via a competing cloud service? Frankly, I wouldn't be. I would very much like to access my many hundreds of Word files on my iPad and iPhone directly through the hardware's native cloud server. Pages is a fine mid-level word/document processor; for precise text control MSWord still leads the pack.
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post #89 of 130
2/21/12 at 10:14am
Microsoft Office for iPad can be awesome if it is really compatible with Microsoft Office for Mac. But sadly it will not be. Because Microsoft Office is not compatible between Mac and Windows, and it is not even compatible between different Microsoft Office versions on Mac, and it is not even compatible between different Microsoft Office versions on Windows. The same (not compatibility between Mac and iPad) can be said for Apple iWork. And I mean for any document created on Mac; not just the plain simple ones. Just use tables, pictures, formatting, audio, video, backgrounds, colors, animations, transitions, special fonts, tracking changes, spell checking, etc and you will be in a nightmare. We know that very well at our University. So, the conclusion is clear: a really mobile Mac is needed (400 to 600 g, and as small as possible). The Mac in your pocket. Always. It is not to work on it. It is mainly for mobility and Keynote and PowerPoint presentations.
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post #90 of 130
2/21/12 at 10:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post

What would the "tablets are toys" trolls say now?

"Office runs terribly on the iPad because it's an Apple product. When Microsoft releases their tablets, Office will run much better."

Quote:
Originally Posted by zunx View Post

So, the conclusion is clear

No. That's far from clear and far from what will ever happen.
PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #91 of 130
2/21/12 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rob53 View Post

I understand some of the comments were written with a bit of sarcasm but why do people feel we have to go back to business as usual by getting any software from Microsoft? What part of "Think Different" don't people get? Apple put out a good computer in a tablet form factor, why does that mean you have to immediately put all your old garbage on it? Isn't it time to look for something better or are we so entrenched in an archaic word processing program that we can't let loose of our comfortable "pencil?" I read schools aren't teaching cursive anymore not because it isn't a reasonable way to convey information (Windows Office products) but because the method of information sharing has changed. We're past the Microsoft Office days, let go of that disastrous product and move on.

Unfortunately, not all users have the option to simply switch to OSX or iOS productivity apps given the need to collaborate with co-workers using MS Office documents.

While iWork apps can open, edit and export to MS Office file formats, you sometimes run into formatting issues since some features are incompatible across platforms and it's not immediately obvious which ones. I learned this the hard way when I first imported a complex Keynote presentation into PowerPoint only to discover that many of my slides needed to be recreated since some formatting and transparency settings didn't carry over. My slides needed to be merged with others as part of a larger presentation so PowerPoint was a requirement. Interestingly, some features (e.g., certain fonts) don't even carry over between the Mac and iOS versions of iWork documents.

These limitations act as a deterrent to fully embracing the Mac productivity apps, despite their superior quality, unique features, ease of use and affordable prices.
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post #92 of 130
2/21/12 at 10:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bikertwin View Post

Um, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote have the exact same features on the iPhone as the iPad. There's no reason for Office to be iPad only.

Pricing will be very interesting. Apple wins no matter what. Even if MS prices it the same as iWork ($9.99/app), Apple gets a 30% cut (or perhaps MS can negotiate that lower). But MS is used to making $150 or more for the suite.

While true now, those apps were iPad only at first.
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post #93 of 130
2/21/12 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post

Or clever one, they hook businesses into that and then bring a tablet out that has more features relating to their cloud.

This would be smart, and is very likely their move.

Get business's back to using MS Office (on the iPad), hooked into a cloud service that they feel dependent on... then come out with a Tablet that offers way more cloud features, and cripple the iPad version... getting people to switch back.
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post #94 of 130
2/21/12 at 10:51am
It would be hilarious if...

...Apple didn't approve the software for sale on iTunes for weeks or months, specifically to disrupt whatever marketing strategy that Office on iOS is part of for Microsoft.
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post #95 of 130
2/21/12 at 11:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by parksgm View Post

It would be hilarious if...

...Apple didn't approve the software for sale on iTunes for weeks or months, specifically to disrupt whatever marketing strategy that Office on iOS is part of for Microsoft.

I think Apple wants this as much as Microsoft does. If Apple can make Windows Tablet stronger & Android Tablet weaker, that just strengthens the iPad relatvie to both (and iOS since that's the mobole os with great marketshare/ apps in both phone & tablet versions).

I think Apple would be fine with allowing MS to make the 'productivity software' & allow Apple to focus on other areas. If Apple were serious about making a world class Productivity suite to compete with Office for the enterprise environment, they would have already.
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post #96 of 130
2/21/12 at 11:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GregInPrague View Post

I imagine that Apple will be quite satisfied taking a 30% cut of every purchase of an MS Office product from the App Store, even if it means lower sales for Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

This could actually spur a fair amount of iPad sales now that more people will view the device as truly productive and useful in the workplace (not that it wasn't already).

So what happens to DataViz (Documents to Go) and QuickOffice now their their reason for existence disappears? I guess they could have/should have seen this day coming and planned accordingly.

Especially since Microsoft owns DataViz, and has for a while...
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post #97 of 130
2/21/12 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scades View Post

Pages is a fine mid-level word/document processor; for precise text control MSWord still leads the pack.

I'm not sure what 'precise text control' means, but I have always found Word to be really clunky when is comes to typography. Pages has very nice text control features such as ligatures, line and letter spacing as well as paragraph spacing, before and after, hyphenation on a single paragraph as well as control over widows and orphans. If Word can even do those things it is certainly not intuitive enough for people to actually use those options on a regular basis.

Not saying that Word doesn't have some nice features possibly missing from Pages but text control is not one of them in my opinion.

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post #98 of 130
2/21/12 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkral View Post

You obviously haven't used Numbers for any length of time. Keynote/Pages are great replacements for PowerPoint/Word, but Numbers (for the iPad) is VERY feature poor compared to Excel and conversion of docs from one to the other does not always go smoothly. Just because you have no need for it, doesn't mean that others are 'living in the past' because they do.

This will be a win/win for Apple & MS. MS because it keeps Office as the default Word processor/Presentation/Spreadsheet apps. Apple because it makes the iPad useful to more and pore poeple. It also helps MS by weakening Android. There is room for a second tablet OS. In fact, there needs to be one, by doing this, MS is making it iOS & Windows 8 for business people, and further marginalizing Android (on tablets). Strategically it's a nice move on their part.

There is also no solution today that properly formats and displays Powerpoint documents. Pages is ok if you don't need to do a lot with the styles. (If you are ok with what is built in, it is a nice program). Numbers is ok for pretty basic work. I do like some of the options for output numbers has and it is better than excel for a quick chart.

I would buy office for iPad if it would let me view people's powerpoint's correctly.
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post #99 of 130
2/21/12 at 11:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by parksgm View Post

It would be hilarious if...

...Apple didn't approve the software for sale on iTunes for weeks or months, specifically to disrupt whatever marketing strategy that Office on iOS is part of for Microsoft.

I suspect this will be one of the shortest approval processes in history. This is a huge win for Apple and Microsoft.
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post #100 of 130
2/21/12 at 11:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by freediverx View Post

Unfortunately, not all users have the option to simply switch to OSX or iOS productivity apps given the need to collaborate with co-workers using MS Office documents.

While iWork apps can open, edit and export to MS Office file formats, you sometimes run into formatting issues since some features are incompatible across platforms and it's not immediately obvious which ones. I learned this the hard way when I first imported a complex Keynote presentation into PowerPoint only to discover that many of my slides needed to be recreated since some formatting and transparency settings didn't carry over. My slides needed to be merged with others as part of a larger presentation so PowerPoint was a requirement. Interestingly, some features (e.g., certain fonts) don't even carry over between the Mac and iOS versions of iWork documents.

These limitations act as a deterrent to fully embracing the Mac productivity apps, despite their superior quality, unique features, ease of use and affordable prices.


I am with you if you change your sometimes to always or at least most of the time. Very rarely is there a smooth transition between iWork and Office. Certainly not something I would rely on for a client deliverable.
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post #101 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:08pm
I already have Pages and Keyonote on the iPad, but Excel will be an awesome addition.

Quote:
I would buy office for iPad if it would let me view people's powerpoint's correctly.

My new pet peeve.
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post #102 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post

Why should Microsoft give Apple 30% of the selling price?

Oh, that's right. iPads will only run software bought direct from Apple. Never mind.

Yeah, why should Microsoft have to pay Apple a cut of their revenue to iOS users?? It's not like Microsoft is going to do that with Windows 8 right??

Oh wait... Nevermind...

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/win...oft,14199.html
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post #103 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wovel View Post

I am with you if you change your sometimes to always or at least most of the time. Very rarely is there a smooth transition between iWork and Office. Certainly not something I would rely on for a client deliverable.

Actually, it just boils down to learning which specific features and formatting options are incompatible and avoiding them altogether. For example, Keynote and PowerPoint have incompatible transparency effects, "smart object"-type features, and maybe certain animation/transition effects.

Basic formatting options, builds and transitions seem to work pretty well across the platforms, provided you're using the same fonts. In other words, if you keep things relatively simple they work pretty well across the apps. Unfortunately users typically discover these limitations the most painful way possible, after hours of work just minutes before a presentation. This usually results in swearing off the use of the iWork app unless you're working in isolation.

It might be helpful if iWork apps could warn you when importing or exporting a file to/from MS Office to highlight unsupported formatting options, as Office currently does when saving to an older file format. Not sure how this would work with Apple's current auto-save/versioning system.
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post #104 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:22pm
Before microsoft's comments: OMG yes, wow that would be so cool, about time, etc etc

After microsoft's comments: who needs office, what a piece of junk anyways, iwork is so much better


lol
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post #105 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scades View Post

... Pages is a fine mid-level word/document processor; for precise text control MSWord still leads the pack.

What?

This makes no sense at all.

First off, "precise text control" is kind of meaningless except in the context to typography and desktop publishing. Secondly, Word is actually notorious for being really bad at precisely that kind of precision.
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post #106 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:24pm
This would be a BIG deal to many folks.

Like it or not, Word, Excel and Powerpoint are heavily used in the corporate world, and having native apps for them could greatly increase use of iPads.
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post #107 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wovel View Post

I am with you if you change your sometimes to always or at least most of the time. Very rarely is there a smooth transition between iWork and Office. Certainly not something I would rely on for a client deliverable.

No.

This vastly overstates the issue. The problem is user-related.

No one has a problem until they have a problem so those who use normal settings and produce average documents rarely if ever have a problem and the conversion works like magic. Some small percentage of users with complex documents (or complex personality problems), have a lot of issues and conclude (erroneously) that there are problems "all the time."

Most of the time on most documents, the conversion between iWork and Office goes smooth as glass. Fact.
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post #108 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:29pm
Maybe they are going to hold off to see if Win8 tablets can carve out a niche. If not, then capitalize on MS Office for iPad.

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post #109 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:37pm
You jest, but the XBOX live app (which is a Metro app) looks quite nice on iOS.

Apple better get to work on a new GUI for OS XI because Metro > iOS & Android.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post

LOL

Yes... But at what expense... The Metrofication of iOS...
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post #110 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post

You assume incorrectly. Windows phones are also restricted to a single software vendor.

You're not good at detecting sarcasm, are you. You were taking a jab at iOS because of the appstore. My point is that its no different than windows phone.
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post #111 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by maccherry View Post

I wonder if MS crippled the functionality of Office for iPad. Remains to be seen.

Good point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

"Office runs terribly on the iPad because it's an Apple product. When Microsoft releases their tablets, Office will run much better."
.

lol To be fair the development of pages for the ipad has been lacklustre at best. They did make a pretty good effort (not great imho) and brought it to market very early but since then they haven't followed up as well. To have to resort for example to saving a landscape document on the icloud on the mac with pages to get landscape mode in pages is ridiculous, dunno if the 've fixed this yet, but last I looked they hadn't
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post #112 of 130
2/21/12 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by saarek View Post

This is a good move for MS. I have felt for a longtime that their windows everywhere moniker should really be Office Everywhere. As long as they can sell office who cares which OS it runs on.

On a side note I wonder when Apple will bother to release a new iWork on the Mac..... Getting a bit long in the tooth now Apple!

Please change iWork to save back to office formats, exporting to save as a doc is just plain stupid. That functionality alone is one of the primary reasons I usually recommend others like quick office & docs 2 go over iWork.
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post #113 of 130
2/21/12 at 1:13pm
Microsoft must be wrong. Every rumor reported on AppleInsider is accurate.
"And just like that, everyone here realizes you're just another sweaty little Google licker with an axe to grind and no idea what he's talking about." --addabox
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"And just like that, everyone here realizes you're just another sweaty little Google licker with an axe to grind and no idea what he's talking about." --addabox
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post #114 of 130
2/21/12 at 1:19pm
I hope they don't stop with just word, pp, and excel. I'd really like to have outlook on iPad, the mail app doesn't really cut it for heavy users of email with multiple accounts. Either way hope this really is happening and soon, been waiting for a long time for this.
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post #115 of 130
2/21/12 at 1:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by realitycheck69 View Post

Before microsoft's comments: OMG yes, wow that would be so cool, about time, etc etc

After microsoft's comments: who needs office, what a piece of junk anyways, iwork is so much better


lol

Lol for yourself. I want a Microsoft-free computing environment, an I've never said otherwise. I do think there are many mainstream businesses and individuals who would buy MS Office because it's the de facto standard in business.
"And just like that, everyone here realizes you're just another sweaty little Google licker with an axe to grind and no idea what he's talking about." --addabox
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"And just like that, everyone here realizes you're just another sweaty little Google licker with an axe to grind and no idea what he's talking about." --addabox
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post #116 of 130
2/21/12 at 1:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkral View Post

I think Apple wants this as much as Microsoft does. If Apple can make Windows Tablet stronger & Android Tablet weaker, that just strengthens the iPad relatvie to both (and iOS since that's the mobole os with great marketshare/ apps in both phone & tablet versions).

I think Apple would be fine with allowing MS to make the 'productivity software' & allow Apple to focus on other areas. If Apple were serious about making a world class Productivity suite to compete with Office for the enterprise environment, they would have already.

There does seem to be a trend of Apple and MS seeing Android as more the enemy than each other at the moment ... but Apple have to be ready to annihilate MS once they've done in Google
Been using Apples since 1978 and Macs since 1984
Long on AAPL so biased. Strong advocate for separation of technology and politics on AI.
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Been using Apples since 1978 and Macs since 1984
Long on AAPL so biased. Strong advocate for separation of technology and politics on AI.
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post #117 of 130
2/21/12 at 1:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gordy View Post

I already have Pages and Keyonote on the iPad, but Excel will be an awesome addition.


My new pet peeve.

Same here I would only be interested in Excel ... but if they have simplified Excel for the mobile version Numbers may yet not seem so bad.


(Update: In a statement to The New York Times, Microsoft has said that the original story "is based on inaccurate rumors and speculation." The company declined to give any further comment.)


Maybe this was a demo of the MS Pad after all ... Or Monkey Boy changed his mind.
Been using Apples since 1978 and Macs since 1984
Long on AAPL so biased. Strong advocate for separation of technology and politics on AI.
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Been using Apples since 1978 and Macs since 1984
Long on AAPL so biased. Strong advocate for separation of technology and politics on AI.
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post #118 of 130
2/21/12 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post

Lol for yourself. I want a Microsoft-free computing environment, an I've never said otherwise. I do think there are many mainstream businesses and individuals who would buy MS Office because it's the de facto standard in business.

Ha! I've been MS free for 3 years...

My current challenge is to get Google free -- then I will have the monkey off my back...

La da da... There's a hole in daddy's arm, where all the money goes...
"So at the end of the presentation, Steve came up to me and said: Is the iPhone worth criticizing? And I said: Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world."
– Alan Kay –
Reply
"So at the end of the presentation, Steve came up to me and said: Is the iPhone worth criticizing? And I said: Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world."
– Alan Kay –
Reply
post #119 of 130
2/21/12 at 1:46pm
I wouldn't hold my breath for this crap. MS will no doubt cripple the hell out of it.
Anyway. Do you think MS compiled MS Office for arm architecture?
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post #120 of 130
2/21/12 at 2:07pm
I suspect that one of the "developers" onstage at the iPad³ rollout will be the GM of the Mac Business Unit of MS, along with a demo grunt.

The MBU GM will gushingly announce that they are changing the name to "Apple" Business Unit to reflect the "mood" [reality] of the times.

Then, they will walk us through a demo of MS Office for iPad.

"So at the end of the presentation, Steve came up to me and said: Is the iPhone worth criticizing? And I said: Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world."
– Alan Kay –
Reply
"So at the end of the presentation, Steve came up to me and said: Is the iPhone worth criticizing? And I said: Make the screen five inches by eight inches, and you’ll rule the world."
– Alan Kay –
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