Both The Verge and ZDNet are independently reporting that Microsoft will finally launch Office for iPad at the end of this month on March 27th, according to sources. According to The Verge, the suite will (unsurprisingly) be very similar to the Office app already on the iPhone App Store.
The interface will reflect the iPhone layout and graphical style, with full document creation and editing support for Word, PowerPoint and Excel. According to the report, Office for iPad will require an Office 365 subscription to function.
Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet says that the Office 365 subscription tiers will be expanded to incorporate iPad licenses.
The recently-announced Microsoft Office 365 Personal subscription — which allows users to install Office on one PC or Mac, plus one tablet — is expected to add iPads as one of the supported tablet types. (Right now, “one tablet” means “one Windows tablet,” only.)
Earlier today, Microsoft released OneNote for Mac for the first time. A full rework of Office for Mac is also expected later in the year.
Here’s a reported look at the homescreen:
[tweet https://twitter.com/rgonzalezagui/status/445702864271192065]
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THIS IS A GAME CHANGER!!
In what capacity?
I do not understand why Microsoft wants to get into iPad market while trying to push for its Surface tablet. As a die heart of Apple, the only reason I would have wanted to buy a Surface was to have the capabilities of Office product. If that is going to be the case, then I would rather to stay on iPad.
My guess is that MS doesn’t make anywhere near as much profit on its surface as it stands to lose on not providing Office to the iPad.
A little too late. I don’t really care if Office is released now. iWork does everything I ever need to do and Apple provides it free of charge. Same old Microsoft, late to realize the way the market is shifting. They should of been on iPad day one, or at least the first year. Now four years later they realize they’ve missed a great opportunity.
Office is a productivity suite, so why don’t they update the absurdly obsolete Mac version before jumping ship and moving onto an iPad one.
honestly more excited about taco bell releasing breakfast than this on march 27th
Well without their stupid subscription I’d be curious to try this out. This way, not so much. Not interested.
I have to agree. I personally cannot see myself paying for a subscription at this point with all of the free alternatives.
well, no reason to have windows 8 anymore… lol
It’s amusing to see all the comments on Apple oriented sites dismissing Office for iOS as “too little too late” and “unnecessary.” Nothing could be further from the truth. For many Windows users the only thing holding them back from buying or even using their iPad at the office is the absence of Office. NO PROGRAM that exists today can deliver 100% file level compatibility with Office, and that limits their usefulness in business dramatically. The faithful can keep dissing this upcoming release, and perhaps many of the loyal will have no interest in signing up, but for Apple this is going to be the biggest boost to iPad sales since they moved to retina displays. I also feel it will be the death of RT, and a major crippling of Windows tablet 8.1, except for those few power users who really need the full Office experience 24/7.
>>For many Windows users the only thing holding them back from buying or even using their iPad at the office is the absence of Office.
We call those people idiots. iWork is already better than this Office ever will be.