Microsoft Office for iPad Awaiting Completion of 'Touch First' Interface for Windows Version

[itguy06]

QO is now nothing more than a link to Google Drive. Which already existed.

No it isn't. I have both the paid QO HD and the new "free" version. Both work locally and allow you to work locally on local documents. Heck, I have a Google Account and store 0 docs in Drive. All my QO docs are local to the iPad and will stay that way, even in the free version.

You can use Google Drive if you want but is definitely not required.

 

[Night Spring]

It keeps my formatting better if I move my work to a WSYIWYG website

Oh dear. Those websites coded with Office are a nightmare -- Office created HTML files are so inefficient, what with all the redundant formatting codes Office puts in. I've seen HTML files that were 10 times the needed size because of all the Office code bloat.

>It's just a word processor

Actually, this should be where I stop. You're bringing it down to the bare minimum, acting like all word processors are the same and can do the same things. Have fun typing up a 10 page document on TextEdit, I guess, since it's "just a word processor".

I think 10 pages in TextEdit is perhaps doable, but I get your point that longer, more complex documents benefit from advanced features.

However, the problem with Office is that they became feature complete way back in, oh, I don't know, around 2000. I actually still use Word 2000, and I know I could easily write a dissertation using that. Newer versions like 2007 and 2010 added things like Ribbons that maybe made things a bit easier to do, but haven't really added any new functions that people actually need. I mean, I work for a law firm where most of the daily word processing is being done on a version of WordPerfect that I think is from the late 90s.

The point is that on tablets, you really only need basic word processing functions. Any complex formatting and styling can be done back on a desktop. Some people think they need the full Office functionality on a tablet, but the crucial limiting factor on a tablet is the screen size. If I'm working on a complex spreadsheet, I don't even want to do it on a 13 inch laptop if I can help it, I want my 27 inch iMac. Tablets are good for rough drafts and quick edits while on the go, and for that, you don't need the full Office.

Apple realizes this, so they built iWork or iOS with less features than iWork for desktop, but made sure that the features that were there are easy to use on a touch screen. Similarly, other 3rd party office alternative apps also offer a limited feature set than Office itself, but most users are finding that that is all they need ON A TABLET.

Microsoft, in the meanwhile, dithered and dithered, partly because they wanted to keep Office exclusive to Win8 / Surface, and partly because they thought Office for tablets needed to be the full Office. And by now, it's too late. While they were dithering, a lot of people found that they don't actually need the full Office to do their everyday tasks. People used to buy Office for their home computers because that was what they had at work, even though Office was very much overkill for home use. Those people will no longer buy Office for their personal tablets. How much will that hurt Microsoft? We'll see!

 

[pscates]

Gosh, don't wait too long or anything, guys. I mean, I know the iPad was just released 3-4 months ago and th...wait, what?

 

[Digital Dude]

Yes, Office is still relevant.

To think otherwise is... well, it's really funny.

The only reason I have office on my Mac is because of Word, which is the only word processor on the planet that has a robust grammar/spell check. Apple is deathly afraid to add grammar check to Pages and this is baffled mankind since the beginning of time.

In Apple's defense, they will go to the far reaches of the universe to retain auto-hyphenate as a default, but this too has baffled mankind.

 

[JoeRito]

I can't understand why another player hasn't come to the table with a decent office productivity suite for the iPad. This is insane... fill the void already!!

 

[Michael Goff]

Oh dear. Those websites coded with Office are a nightmare -- Office created HTML files are so inefficient, what with all the redundant formatting codes Office puts in. I've seen HTML files that were 10 times the needed size because of all the Office code bloat.



I think 10 pages in TextEdit is perhaps doable, but I get your point that longer, more complex documents benefit from advanced features.

However, the problem with Office is that they became feature complete way back in, oh, I don't know, around 2000. I actually still use Word 2000, and I know I could easily write a dissertation using that. Newer versions like 2007 and 2010 added things like Ribbons that maybe made things a bit easier to do, but haven't really added any new functions that people actually need. I mean, I work for a law firm where most of the daily word processing is being done on a version of WordPerfect that I think is from the late 90s.

The point is that on tablets, you really only need basic word processing functions. Any complex formatting and styling can be done back on a desktop. Some people think they need the full Office functionality on a tablet, but the crucial limiting factor on a tablet is the screen size. If I'm working on a complex spreadsheet, I don't even want to do it on a 13 inch laptop if I can help it, I want my 27 inch iMac. Tablets are good for rough drafts and quick edits while on the go, and for that, you don't need the full Office.

Apple realizes this, so they built iWork or iOS with less features than iWork for desktop, but made sure that the features that were there are easy to use on a touch screen. Similarly, other 3rd party office alternative apps also offer a limited feature set than Office itself, but most users are finding that that is all they need ON A TABLET.

Microsoft, in the meanwhile, dithered and dithered, partly because they wanted to keep Office exclusive to Win8 / Surface, and partly because they thought Office for tablets needed to be the full Office. And by now, it's too late. While they were dithering, a lot of people found that they don't actually need the full Office to do their everyday tasks. People used to buy Office for their home computers because that was what they had at work, even though Office was very much overkill for home use. Those people will no longer buy Office for their personal tablets. How much will that hurt Microsoft? We'll see!

I think the thing is that Microsoft is trying to raise the standards of what can be done on a tablet. And I applaud them for that, since Apple and Google seem content to have the bare minimum. Also, I doubt they could have ported Office to the iPad before when they're doing it... unless they want to do it sloppy. Office is a big beast with a lot of code, it takes a while to slim down.

Which leads me to my next point. Office for the last tenor thirteen years has been all about taking the tasks that we do and making them faster. You're right, it is feature complete. Now we just polish the stone until we think of the next correct feature that people don't know they need yet.

The only reason I have office on my Mac is because of Word, which is the only word processor on the planet that has a robust grammar/spell check. Apple is deathly afraid to add grammar check to Pages and this is baffled mankind since the beginning of time.

In Apple's defense, they will go to the far reaches of the universe to retain auto-hyphenate as a default, but this too has baffled mankind.

In other words, you still use it because it's the best tool for the job for you?

----------

I can't understand why another player hasn't come to the table with a decent office productivity suite for the iPad. This is insane... fill the void already!!

It could have something to do with the fact that making a good office suite isn't exactly simple.

 

[Bibbler]

The bigger question is why?

Is Office really that relevant anymore? There are many other alternatives that are available now that can do the job.

Sorry, professionals will not use off-brand software that can "do the job"... iWork, Open Office, etc is fine for home users but there is, and always has been, industry standard software packages that are a must - especially if your work involves sharing of data and/or collaboration on documents.

To ask the question "is Office really that relevant anymore" is absurd.

 

[Black Magic]

Sorry, professionals will not use off-brand software that can "do the job"... iWork, Open Office, etc is fine for home users but there is, and always has been, industry standard software packages that are a must - especially if your work involves sharing of data and/or collaboration on documents.

To ask the question "is Office really that relevant anymore" is absurd.

The question is valid but only applies to the consumer market. Microsoft is becoming irrelevant in the consumer space with the exception of the XBOX. Consumers are not lining up and buying Office year after year. They bought it once maybe back in 2003 or 2007 and it gets them by.

Office is the standard in the enterprise market and will be for the foreseeable future.

 

[Night Spring]

Sorry, professionals will not use off-brand software that can "do the job"... iWork, Open Office, etc is fine for home users but there is, and always has been, industry standard software packages that are a must - especially if your work involves sharing of data and/or collaboration on documents.

To ask the question "is Office really that relevant anymore" is absurd.

But to reverse what you are saying, perhaps only "professionals" need Office. So, not that the professional market isn't important, but it is by definition smaller than the "mass market."

I think for the regular person on the street, Office is really becoming less relevant, in the "Oh, that's for the pros -- it's not for me," way. Just like most people nowadays are satisfied with snapping pictures on their smartphone cameras instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on professional camera equipment. I think the same is starting to happen to Office -- a lot of people, including myself, are saying, "Hey, I don't write complex documents, so I don't need Office. iWork / Google doc / other 3rd party software is plenty good enough for me."

 

[Steveorevo]

How modern. Now with an even bigger "touch" friendly floppy disk icon and ribbon toolbar.

 

[Michael Goff]

How modern. Now with an even bigger "touch" friendly floppy disk icon and ribbon toolbar.

I agree, it should be more like Pages where there is no save button, where getting into tools is a wrench, and where adding a picture is a giant plus. Because nothing says add picture to me than a box with a plus.

 

[Black Magic]

I agree, it should be more like Pages where there is no save button, where getting into tools is a wrench, and where adding a picture is a giant plus. Because nothing says add picture to me than a box with a plus.

Michael, you are going to tire yourself out responding to every post here that isn't pro MS.

 

[Bibbler]

But to reverse what you are saying, perhaps only "professionals" need Office. So, not that the professional market isn't important, but it is by definition smaller than the "mass market."

I think for the regular person on the street, Office is really becoming less relevant, in the "Oh, that's for the pros -- it's not for me," way. Just like most people nowadays are satisfied with snapping pictures on their smartphone cameras instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on professional camera equipment. I think the same is starting to happen to Office -- a lot of people, including myself, are saying, "Hey, I don't write complex documents, so I don't need Office. iWork / Google doc / other 3rd party software is plenty good enough for me."

And that may very well be true, I'm just saying for anyone who has to (for instance) share a spreadsheet with a client, it's not worth the risk on embarrassment for it not to open properly. I don't want any of my clients to think that I'm "too cheap" to spend the money on Industry Standard tools in my business and giving them something that will always work 100% of the time for them...

 

[Michael Goff]

Michael, you are going to tire yourself out responding to every post here that isn't pro MS.

It doesn't have to be Pro MS, it just has to use basic logic.

 

[charlituna]

... only 4 years after the release of the first iPad.

Meanwhile, how many third-party Office-compatible apps have sprung up to fill that void?

Let's not forget that many will be able to get 'iwork' for free.

 

[Mainsail]

I have had iwork on my ipad since the first launch in 2010. One thing I have learned after using it for over 3 years is that office applications need to be simple and easy to use on a tablet. You can get a lot of work done, but you need to simplify things. Actually, this approach can make you more efficient if you make the appropriate adjustments and do the final heavy lifting on a full desktop computer.

I really have no desire for a complex spreadsheet or word processing application on my iPad. Why? The touch UI just doesn't support it. If you stick with simplicity, you can do a great deal of productive work using iWork that can be easily shared in the MS format. Now, you are not going to develop complex macros or large pivot tables using iWork, but I doubt you would want to do that on a tablet in the first place.

It's like we all want a Swiss Army knife that is convienent to carry around and takes care of numerous common tasks, but then we get upset when it isn't as effective as a chainsaw for cutting down trees.

 

[Bibbler]

The question is valid but only applies to the consumer market. Microsoft is becoming irrelevant in the consumer space with the exception of the XBOX. Consumers are not lining up and buying Office year after year. They bought it once maybe back in 2003 or 2007 and it gets them by.

Office is the standard in the enterprise market and will be for the foreseeable future.

Your point makes a lot of sense and I do understand what you are saying. But I'm not sure consumers will agree in masses...

Back in the late 70's /early 80's (When I was moving between a C64, TRS-80, Atari 800, Apple II, Amiga, etc) it was obvious that the IBM PC would become the "Standard" in corporate computing. My little group of users (We called ourselves the "Pittsburgh Pirates" ) would meet once a week and dwell on stuff like this!. Since the IBM PC (and clones) were Corporate's world choice of PC, we wondered what machine would emerge as the Industry Standard "Home" consumer computer.... (I myself thought that the Amiga might become the "Consumer Industry Standard Computer")..

At the end of the day (as prices dropped and PC's were equipped with better video and sound cards) the PC also took over the consumer market as well.. Of course by the late 80's the Mac joined my PC in my home office as well and the 2 still sit side by side to this day...

I think we may see something similar in software as well. Why have something different on your home machine as you use all day at work? There are Non-Standard Project Management cheapo packages out there, but I use Primavera P6 at my job and it only makes sense to use on my home machines as well - - same goes for Excel....

I will grant you this, for folks who have a job where they don't use a computer daily, some of these non-standard consumer packages may be a viable option. I don't have a problem with any of them other than I can't risk a document not opening correctly on a clients machine...

Peace.

 

[DaveTheRave]

Wow can you imagine the infighting at Microsoft? Some guy responsible for Office sales is held back by the decision to protect Windows. I guess someone figured that's a better money maker for Microsoft.

 

[Mainsail]

Your point makes a lot of sense and I do understand what you are saying. But I'm not sure consumers will agree in masses...

Back in the late 70's /early 80's (When I was moving between a C64, TRS-80, Atari 800, Apple II, Amiga, etc) it was obvious that the IBM PC would become the "Standard" in corporate computing. My little group of users (We called ourselves the "Pittsburgh Pirates" ) would meet once a week and dwell on stuff like this!. Since the IBM PC (and clones) were Corporate's world choice of PC, we wondered what machine would emerge as the Industry Standard "Home" consumer computer.... (I myself thought that the Amiga might become the "Consumer Industry Standard Computer")..

At the end of the day (as prices dropped and PC's were equipped with better video and sound cards) the PC also took over the consumer market as well.. Of course by the late 80's the Mac joined my PC in my home office as well and the 2 still sit side by side to this day...

I think we may see something similar in software as well. Why have something different on your home machine as you use all day at work? There are Non-Standard Project Management cheapo packages out there, but I use Primavera P6 at my job and it only makes sense to use on my home machines as well - - same goes for Excel....

I will grant you this, for folks who have a job where they don't use a computer daily, some of these non-standard consumer packages may be a viable option. I don't have a problem with any of them other than I can't risk a document not opening correctly on a clients machine...

Peace.

Actually, we are seeing the opposite. Adoption in the mass consumer market is driving the professional market. For example, BYOD policies at work and the demise of Blackberry.

 

[slwiser]

If you buy it prepare yourself for a 400mbyte update everytime it's opened. This is based on my personal experience with MS Office for Mac.

 

[217833]

I bought Office for Mac 4 years ago because I wasn't sure at the time I could use iWork to do everything I needed.

Today, I'm not using Office anymore, I like iWork better. I already purchased it for iOS too... and since it is now free for any new iOS buyers, I don't see the point for an iPad user to even consider to buy Office at all.

And as a business owner, I even consider more and more the iPad as a perfect "personal computer" for most of the employees.

 

[Glideslope]

Ballmer...

One has to wonder how he has been in charge for soooo long.

One of the worst CEO's in history for having " their own roadmap."

 

[rmwebs]

If this is going to happen I guarantee Apple will be taking no money off of Microsoft's Margins. Microsoft would demand them to remove their cut, and in return Apple gains a big selling point for their device.

I cant see that happening. Microsoft is no exception to the fee, why should they be? Apple couldn't care less if office is released as iWork's now free.

 

[Ballis]

I love MS Office, but if this is that rental version, this is to little, to late. Id be hard pressed to buy this, and even more so to "subscribe" to it now that iWork is free.

 

[Mike MA]

Plenty of great apps have come along and taken care of most users. I use QuickOffice Pro and I thats all I'll ever need. Im sure there are people that will get this and its cool thats its coming out. But, geesh, a TAD late to the party?

Yes, but I bet they can come back strong at least at the business front. The big global companies will adopt it rather quickly due to large discounts or bundles (e.g. included in the classic Office Suits). Microsoft will push aggressively to regain that market. I hope I'm wrong though...