Over the last several months, there's been a lot of talk regarding the potential for an iOS version of MS Office. Folks particularly want to see it land on the iPad, as research shows the move could be worth some $2.5 billion to Microsoft.
But despite all of the chatter, we have yet to see any indication that Office is on its way to Apple's mobile platform. And it doesn't look like we're going to anytime soon. A new report suggests the app suite won't land on iOS until next fall...
Picture Microsoft in one of those V8 commercials, where the actor whacks himself in the head after he could be drinking a healthy vegetable drink rather than a can of diet cola.
Now, replace the veggie juice with an iPad and you might have a scenario playing out in the executive suite of Microsoft today.
Why? The software giant refuses to sell a version of its Office suite for the iPad, a mistake possibly costing $2.5 billion. One analyst believes the company is leaving $2.5 billion on the table by insisting to offer the popular software bundle to Microsoft's tiny tablet market, as well as the declining number of PCs.
Can any company be that short-sighted? Wait, that was a rhetorical question...
Following up on yesterday's release of cloud-based Office 365 for Macs and Windows PCs, Microsoft's energetic CEO Steve Ballmer sat down with Ashlee Vance of Bloomberg Businessweek to talk biz, competition and discuss what's next for the productivity suite. Office 365, basically a subscription-based offering, shouldn't be confused with the just released Office 2013 suite.
Despite several credible leaks proving that Microsoft is working on Office for iPad, Ballmer isn't afraid of an Office-less iPad. Little wonder, considering the Windows maker is keeping a tablet version of Office exclusive to Windows 8 tablets as a crucial advantage over other tablets...
Apple has just rejected the latest update to Microsoft's iOS SkyDrive app, a client for its popular cloud-based storage service. The reason for this is that the update includes the ability for users to purchase more storage through the app, and Microsoft isn't giving Apple its 30% cut of the sales.
Apparently the two companies are at serious odds over the commission fee, and the situation may not be resolvable. Microsoft has even offered to remove all subscription options from the app, but to no avail. And according to a new report, the beef has spilled over into Office for iOS discussions...
Microsoft's long-rumored Office suite for iOS and Android is like a unicorn: everybody's talking about it and yet no one but a rare few have seen it. The Redmond-based Windows maker may have just "inadvertently" (conspiracy theorists, rejoice!) leaked another solid proof that Excel, PowerPoint and Word apps are coming to both the iPhone and iPad.
It's interesting because previously we were wondering whether the mobile Office suite would only run on the iPad or target all form-factor iOS devices. This looks to be the case as Microsoft appears adamant to give Apple and its iWork productivity apps a good run for their money...
Cloud-storage startup Dropbox has quickly become my favorite solution for storing and sharing files in the cloud, collaborating on projects, backing up my photos and more. Today, an update to the free Dropbox iOS client has been issued, bringing with it a couple new features and tweaks. For starters, streaming of video files from your Dropbox is now improved. Another nice-to-have: Dropbox finally features support for password-protected Microsoft Office documents, an iOS 6-only capability...
The Verge in an exclusive report this morning offers a detailed look into Office Mobile, a long-rumored version of Microsoft's productivity suite, said to hit iOS and Android devices in early 2013, with the iPhone and iPad version hitting the App Store first. The suite, the publication has it, will apparently include free viewer apps that will require a Microsoft account. Limited editing functionality will reportedly be available with an Office 365 subscription. More tidbits right after the break...
Microsoft recently announced the latest version of its popular Office suite, Office 2013. And while there was no mention of whether or not the software would make it to iOS, the tech world seems pretty convinced it's coming.
A recently discovered job listing on Microsoft's website adds fuel to the fire, as it calls for a new software development engineer for the company's Office division to "be part of Microsoft's next move on the Mac and on iOS..."
Microsoft is unveiling something today, but the company would uncharacteristically release no agenda for today's presser, which begins at noon Pacific time. A media release only mentions that Microsoft will be making an announcement today and teases "news live from San Francisco via webcast".
It's gotta be some kind of a biggie as Steve Ballmer, the CEO, "will share the news", per the release. But what exactly is it? Office for iPad, anyone? It's a simple YES/NO poll so cast your vote now...