“iPad users will now have access to a fully-loaded Microsoft Office suite.”
At an event in San Francisco, Microsoft unveiled the product we’ve all been waiting (a very long time) for – Office for iPad. Three new apps for Word, Excel and PowerPoint are now available to download from the Apple App Store. Users will be able to view Office documents and make presentations for free, but editing will require an Office 365 subscription. ![Office for iPad_2]()
The good news is that existing Office 365 subscribers qualify to use the iPad Office suite. If you’re an Office 365 Home Premium user, you’ll get to use Office for iPad on up to five tablets, in addition to five PCs/Macs. At this point, ‘tablets’ applies only to iPads, since Microsoft hasn’t announced an Android version as yet. However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company would be bringing Office 365 across all platforms, so we expect an Android version is in the offing. ![Office for iPad_3]()
Unlike its mobile version, which offers basic editing options, Office for iPad has been built ‘from the ground up’, keeping in mind the iPad’s functionality and touch interface. The design elements of the PC and Mac versions, including the ribbon interface, have been retained, making the transition easy for users for PC/Mac users. Thanks to deep OneDrive integration, Office for iPad allows real-time collaboration with other users, a feature Google Docs excels in. Microsoft also says that any documents created on the iPad won’t lose formatting on other platforms like PC, web and mobile, which will give the software a much-needed wholistic touch. Office for iPad wasn’t the only big news at the event. Microsoft also announced that the Office Mobile app is now completely free for iOS and Android users. This means users will be able to download, view and edit documents without an Office 365 subscription. This is a strategic move by Microsoft, given that its Office suite is responsible for more than half its profits. Until now, smartphone and tablet users have had to make do with free software like Apple’s iWork and Google Docs, which despite their utility, don’t bring the same level of functionality as Microsoft Office. Microsoft, which until now viewed the world through Windows-tinted glasses, is finally opening its eyes to newer platforms. And Office for iPad could be just what it needs to win back the chunk of users who have migrated to a mobile-first world.
The good news is that existing Office 365 subscribers qualify to use the iPad Office suite. If you’re an Office 365 Home Premium user, you’ll get to use Office for iPad on up to five tablets, in addition to five PCs/Macs. At this point, ‘tablets’ applies only to iPads, since Microsoft hasn’t announced an Android version as yet. However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company would be bringing Office 365 across all platforms, so we expect an Android version is in the offing. 
Unlike its mobile version, which offers basic editing options, Office for iPad has been built ‘from the ground up’, keeping in mind the iPad’s functionality and touch interface. The design elements of the PC and Mac versions, including the ribbon interface, have been retained, making the transition easy for users for PC/Mac users. Thanks to deep OneDrive integration, Office for iPad allows real-time collaboration with other users, a feature Google Docs excels in. Microsoft also says that any documents created on the iPad won’t lose formatting on other platforms like PC, web and mobile, which will give the software a much-needed wholistic touch. Office for iPad wasn’t the only big news at the event. Microsoft also announced that the Office Mobile app is now completely free for iOS and Android users. This means users will be able to download, view and edit documents without an Office 365 subscription. This is a strategic move by Microsoft, given that its Office suite is responsible for more than half its profits. Until now, smartphone and tablet users have had to make do with free software like Apple’s iWork and Google Docs, which despite their utility, don’t bring the same level of functionality as Microsoft Office. Microsoft, which until now viewed the world through Windows-tinted glasses, is finally opening its eyes to newer platforms. And Office for iPad could be just what it needs to win back the chunk of users who have migrated to a mobile-first world.
