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

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014


A new version of Microsoft Office designed for the iPad is rumored to arrive on the App Store soon, as hands-on impressions with the suite have been shared online, though Microsoft has called the information "inaccurate" [updated].



News Corp's The Daily for iPad offered the first glimpse at Office for iPad on Tuesday. Author Matt Hickey got to spend some time with a "working prototype" of the productivity suite, which features Microsoft's trademark "Metro" design found on Windows Phone and the forthcoming Windows 8.



"Word, Excel and PowerPoint files can be created and edited locally and online," he said. "But it's unclear if Microsoft will support other Office apps at launch or at all."



The design side of the project is said to have already wrapped up, but an exact launch date remains unknown. It was said that the project "could be released in the coming weeks."



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.



The original report cited anonymous sources in adding that Microsoft Office for iPad will "soon be submitted to Apple for approval." No pricing or other details were provided.



While Office is coming to iPad, Microsoft reportedly has no plans to bring its suite to competing tablets running the Google Android mobile operating system. The Redmond, Wash., company is also said to be planning an update to its existing OneNote application for iOS to add a Metro user interface.











The Daily first indicated last November that Microsoft was preparing a new version of its Office suite for Apple's iPad. In addition, an updated version of Office for OS X Lion users was also revealed, and is expected to become available on Apple's Mac App Store.



Apple currently offers its competing iWork productivity suite on the iPad as three standalone applications. Pages, Keynote and Numbers for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch are each available for $9.99 on the App Store.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 129
    ghostface147ghostface147 Posts: 1,629member
    Nice job MS. Price it competitively and you should be golden. Would be nice if they make an iPhone version, but I can understand if it's iPad only due to screen size.
  • Reply 2 of 129
    jnjnjnjnjnjn Posts: 588member
    A software company writing ... software.

    Sounds ok to me.



    J.
  • Reply 3 of 129
    bikertwinbikertwin Posts: 566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    Nice job MS. Price it competitively and you should be golden. Would be nice if they make an iPhone version, but I can understand if it's iPad only due to screen size.



    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.
  • Reply 4 of 129
    island hermitisland hermit Posts: 6,217member
    This should help Apple with the struggling iPad line.
  • Reply 5 of 129
    greginpraguegreginprague Posts: 491member
    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.
  • Reply 6 of 129
    unotherunother Posts: 40member
    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.



    That's a little febrile. MS makes $0 currently and risks ceding dominance in iOS to Apple.





    This move is undoubtedly in acquiescence to the many business users who require a hermetic solution to compatibility with Windows PC cohorts. It's vital and important and underscores Apple's current dominance in the tablet space...
  • Reply 7 of 129
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by unother View Post


    That's a little febrile. MS makes $0 currently and risks ceding dominance in iOS to Apple.





    This move is undoubtedly in acquiescence to the many business users who require a hermetic solution to compatibility with Windows PC cohorts. It's vital and important and underscores Apple's current dominance in the tablet space...



    That was my first thought, acquiescence. Not holding back their crown jewels for their own tablet is either that or amazing faith in what hardware they have coming one day.
  • Reply 8 of 129
    shenshen Posts: 434member
    I am sure it will sell, and sell in numbers. But far too many 9-5 types have had a few years using iPads, sometimes unsupported, in the office with complete success. Onenote is helping remind people who Microsoft was, and I am sure most will return to MSOffice (now in touch form) as a long lost lover, but how many people understand that they just don't need it? The time period where the iPad existed with no MSOffice is time MS will never get back...
  • Reply 9 of 129
    dick applebaumdick applebaum Posts: 12,527member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post


    This should help Apple with the struggling iPad line.



    LOL



    Yes... But at what expense... The Metrofication? of iOS...



  • Reply 10 of 129
    constable odoconstable odo Posts: 1,041member
    Good to hear that MS Office won't be on the Android platform. That could definitely slow down Android growth and keep the Android tablet market share down low. That could also help WP7 growth as consumers wean themselves away from Android devices.
  • Reply 11 of 129
    island hermitisland hermit Posts: 6,217member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    LOL



    Yes... But at what expense... The Metrofication? of iOS...




    Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.



    [Has anyone figured out yet why this story was placed under "AAPL Investors".]
  • Reply 12 of 129
    dick applebaumdick applebaum Posts: 12,527member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    That was my first thought, acquiescence. Not holding back their crown jewels for their own tablet is either that or amazing faith in what hardware they have coming one day.



    I suspect that MS will find a way to tie this into their cloud service...



    A bold move?
  • Reply 13 of 129
    damage976damage976 Posts: 13member
    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.
  • Reply 14 of 129
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,565member
    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!
  • Reply 15 of 129
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,290member
    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.
  • Reply 16 of 129
    cyberzombiecyberzombie Posts: 258member
    Another means of wresting some data from the iCloud into their own? Given the size of MSO documents and synchronization with other non-iPad business users, they could make up more than enough revenue via extra SkyDrive space.
  • Reply 17 of 129
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,408member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post


    This should help Apple with the struggling iPad line.



    Yep, and help catch up to those amazing Microsoft tablets.
  • Reply 18 of 129
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    I suspect that MS will find a way to tie this into their cloud service...



    A bold move?



    Or clever one, they hook businesses into that and then bring a tablet out that has more features relating to their cloud.
  • Reply 19 of 129
    dick applebaumdick applebaum Posts: 12,527member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    Nice job MS. Price it competitively and you should be golden. Would be nice if they make an iPhone version, but I can understand if it's iPad only due to screen size.



    Smartphone capability, likely, will first appear on WP7... Then iOS... And possibly Android...



    There may never be a rival tablet platform to iOS...
  • Reply 20 of 129
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,408member
    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?



    While Keynote is fabulous (I've switched) and Pages adequate (I make-do), I've just got too much invested in Excel (with Numbers being just so-so). So, subject to pricing, this is welcome news.
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