Microsoft Office on iPad Pro Requires Office 365 Subscription

[MacRumors]

Microsoft will require an Office 365 subscription to use Office apps on an iPad Pro, reports Ars Technica. The reason is that the tablet's 12.9-inch screen size exceeds Microsoft's 10.1-inch threshold for free access to viewing and editing features.

Comparatively, the Office suite of apps on the iPad Air and iPad mini allow viewing and editing documents for free, since their screen sizes are 9.7" and 7.9" respectively. iPhones also have access to viewing and editing features at no cost.

The Office apps on the current iPads offer both viewing and editing documents for free. A handful of features require Office 365 subscriptions, available as in-app purchases, but the core editing capabilities are all zero cost.

Install those same apps on the iPad Pro once it arrives in November, however, and all those editing features will go away. Office on the iPad Pro will require an Office 365 subscription for any and all editing.

Office 365 Home costs $99.99 per year, or $9.99 per month, and includes access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access on 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets and 5 smartphones. Up to five subscribers also get 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage and 60 Skype minutes of calling per month to mobile phones and landlines.

Office 365 Personal is also available for $69.99 per year, or $6.99 per month, and includes access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access on 1 PC or Mac, 1 tablet and 1 smartphone. One subscriber also gets 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage and 60 Skype minutes of calling per month to mobile phones and landlines.

iPad Pro launches in November starting at $799 in the United States.

Article Link: Microsoft Office on iPad Pro Requires Office 365 Subscription

 

[jblagden]

I'm not at all surprised. That's how it has been for iOS devices ever since Microsoft started making Office for iOS devices. I'll just buy Microsoft Office 2016 for my MacBook Pro and use it until Microsoft creates new file formats for Office.

 

[ChasSC-Mac-Guy]

Office 365 Personal is also available for $69.99 per year, or $6.99 per month, and includes access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access on 1 PC or Mac, 1 tablet and 1 smartphone. One subscriber also gets 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage and 60 Skype minutes of calling per month to mobile phones and landlines.

-OR-

I could use Apple's free apps that do the same thing, and read and write MS formatted documents just fine. No thanks, Microsoft.

 

[unobtainium]

People always act shocked and outraged when companies try to make a profit. One of the weirdest side-effects of this internet start-up age.

 

[Pfunstuff]

All of the potential add-on features for this device just keep getting more and more expensive. The keyboard attachment, the Pencil, a subscription to Microsoft 365 if you want to use it... What's next?

 

[AngerDanger]

The reason is because the tablet's 12.9-inch screen size exceeds Microsoft's 10.1-inch threshold for free access to viewing and editing features.

So if your iPad Pro is traveling quite quickly, according to the Lorentz-contraction, you could gain access to Microsoft Office for free!

This is a significant reason for developing near-speed-of-light travel.

 

[MartinAppleGuy]

So if your iPad Pro is traveling quite quickly, according to the Lorentz-contraction, you could gain access to Microsoft Office for free!

Macrumors comment of the year !!

 

[Bill Killer]

-OR-

I could use Apple's free apps that do the same thing, and read and write MS formatted documents just fine. No thanks, Microsoft.

Apple's free alternatives most certainly don't do the same things. They're very underpowered and contain a number of compatibility issues.

 

[unobtainium]

Apple's free alternatives most certainly don't do the same things. They're very underpowered and contain a number of compatibility issues.

And they rarely get updates. I don't think Apple has done anything with their iCloud-based iWork apps since introducing them.

They tend to do that with services.

 

[Colinwoods84]

I can't see using my iPad for typing documents and excel projects. However, with the pencil I could totally use it for contract signing. If docusign delivers a good product that I can generate and sign contracts I'm all about this new iPad. I could really use my local MLS going non flash. I want this iPad but Microsoft office is not drawing me in.

 

[Bhatu]

1000+ $$ iPad Pro for running MS Office?
Each app is 300+MB in size - Is it even optimised for iPad?

 

[ChasSC-Mac-Guy]

Apple's free alternatives most certainly don't do the same things. They're very underpowered and contain a number of compatibility issues.

Yes, I'm very much missing out on Visual Basic..... But seriously, I regularly use Pages and Numbers and have had no such issues, and transfer back and forth with my office computer running Excel and Word.

So your argument that we should have to pay Microsoft for their apps is ludicrous, when the average user has no need for the features you say are missing. I'm sure some extreme power users and business might need it of course, which is where Cook is leaning with helping MS here.

I smell MS supporters in this thread. lol

 

[2457282]

People always act shocked and outraged when companies try to make a profit. One of the weirdest side-effects of this internet start-up age.

No, for me it's two things. One I don't care for MS software to begin with - bloated and buggy. Two, I hate subscription models. I prefer to pay once and be done.

 

[rollzst]

No thanks Microsoft!

 

[WowAppleWow]

Won't buy an iPad pro unless I can have Office for free !

 

[rdlink]

People always act shocked and outraged when companies try to make a profit. One of the weirdest side-effects of this internet start-up age.

It's confusing to some people because they look at Apple's model, where they sell their hardware and most of their services for a premium price and give away all of their software. This, and superior support and service drive the hardware sales.

But MS is a software company. They make their profit from selling software. They should be compensated for it if people find value in it.

 

[Adamb10]

People hate the subscription service but what you don't realize is you get all future upgrades, including Office 2016/2017/2018, etc including 1TB of cloud storage, plus you can install it on 5 devices. It's actually a pretty good deal if you want to always have the latest version of Office.

 

[the-msa]

HOLY SMOKES, how DARE a software company try to make a profit with their software!

 

[nagromme]

I object to Adobe's subscription plan because they add only minor or gimmicky features, and leave ancient bugs and bloated UI alone. You're paying regularly but not getting quality to match.

If Microsoft is delivering top quality and consistent improvements (and it seems like they may be), then although a subscription is still not my favorite model, I could stomach it.

The 10" cutoff seems weird, but they're going to have to have SOME arbitrary rule if they want big PCs to pay more than regular iPads. (They could always tweak the rule, too.)

(Except that Numbers, Pages, and desktop OpenOffice meet my needs anyway.)

 

[a0me]

Yes, I'm very much missing out on Visual Basic..... But seriously, I regularly use Pages and Numbers and have had no such issues, and transfer back and forth with my office computer running Excel and Word.

So your argument that we should have to pay Microsoft for their apps is ludicrous, when the average user has no need for the features you say are missing. I'm sure some extreme power users and business might need it of course, which is where Cook is leaning with helping MS here.

If this was true, why would Apple go and create a dedicated page regarding document compatibility with Microsoft Office going into details about what's supported, what is partially supported and what is not?
Basic things such as macros are not supported in Numbers.
http://www.apple.com/mac/numbers/compatibility/

 

[Eidorian]

I object to Adobe's subscription plan because they add only minor or gimmicky features, and leave ancient bugs and bloated UI alone. You're paying regularly but not getting quality to match.

If Microsoft is delivering top quality and consistent improvements (and it seems like they may be), then although a subscription is still not my favorite model, I could stomach it.

The 10" cutoff seems weird, but they're going to have to have SOME arbitrary rule if they want big PCs to pay more than regular iPads. (They could always tweak the rule, too.)

(Except that Numbers, Pages, and desktop OpenOffice meet my needs anyway.)

The cutoff probably relates to how they handle licensing "free" copies of Windows for sub-10" devices. It's their product and it's a good one.

 

[ChasSC-Mac-Guy]

If this was true, why would Apple go and create a dedicated page regarding document compatibility with Microsoft Office going into details about what's supported, what is partially supported and what is not?
Basic things such as macros are not supported in Numbers.
http://www.apple.com/mac/numbers/compatibility/

And I would expect macros to NEVER be supported in Number, nor would I want it to. Given the history of viruses that can be injected vis macros in Word and Excel, I was always glad they omitted that. I like that they list everything on that chart, it's quite handy. And the things that aren't supported aren't really missed, believe me. Again - the average Mac user doesn't need MS's bloatware. The whole point in responding to the topic was that anyone using a 12" iPad most certainly has a choice other than MS Office.

Someone keeps bringing up the "compensating for apps", although I never mentioned that one bit. I am decidedly more negative to Microsoft than most other companies, not because they charge too much (which they do), but because of the sloppiness of the software and OS's security throughout the late 90's and onward that led to the constant need to run all the other bloatware to keep your computer from being infected.

No thanks.

edit: totally against the SAAS model too that Microsoft, Adobe, and Autodesk have moved to. You end up paying more in the long run. I like that I can buy my app in the App Store and only pay for it ONCE. Not that once a month/once a year BS

 

[Defthand]

Apple's free alternatives most certainly don't do the same things. They're very underpowered and contain a number of compatibility issues.

Meh. Underpowered for who? I worked in a corporate environment for ten years. 99 percent of the administrative and clerical staff couldn’t—and didn’t want to—use anything beyond the most elementary of features. MS Word, for example, is too quirky and inefficient to be a professional layout/typesetting application and is too bloated for casual and business use. Excel can only be mastered by fulltime number crunchers; everyone else uses it to make lists. In my experience, Apple’s Numbers app makes power features, such as formulas, easier to create and comprehend.

 

[NMBob]

So if your iPad Pro is traveling quite quickly, according to the Lorentz-contraction, you could gain access to Microsoft Office for free!

This is a significant reason for developing near-speed-of-light travel.

It depends on who's measuring the screen, you or Microsoft. Frame of reference. Frame of reference.

 

[Ferc Kast]

Yes, I'm very much missing out on Visual Basic..... But seriously, I regularly use Pages and Numbers and have had no such issues, and transfer back and forth with my office computer running Excel and Word.

So your argument that we should have to pay Microsoft for their apps is ludicrous, when the average user has no need for the features you say are missing. I'm sure some extreme power users and business might need it of course, which is where Cook is leaning with helping MS here.

I smell MS supporters in this thread. lol

Not a power user by any means, but Pages for iOS refused to properly render a Word document that I have to update on a weekly basis. So, I'm sticking with Office as I have done since it was first available on iOS.