Will there ever be a proper ms office app for the ipad

[zombierunner]

I know there are many apps that let you view and edit your office files .. but im just wondering why ms office dont put out a full blown app for the ipad like apple has with its iwork app ... how cool would it be if ms office app for ipad existed and supported the same built in icloud functionality like iwork .. you could work on a computer then switch to the ipad and have it all there ... coooome on?

 

[miles01110]

Doubtful.

 

[kalex]

They might. Would be cool to have it like on Windows 7 phone

 

[poloponies]

Doubtful.

I don't know why you'd say doubtful. It's certainly a possibility given the 25 million iPads already sold and another 20+ million to be sold by year-end. It's certainly an opportunity for MS and one that they are likely considering.

 

[Bluethree]

Actually I think the iCloud impact and synching of app's like Pages, Keynote and Numbers will force MS to develop an iOS version of at least their key Office components and I would for one be delighted. Personally, in a working environment, I find Excel and Word head and shoulders above the Apple equivalents and considering MS has just spent heavily and delivered a good MAC Office 2011 they will not want to see this effort undermined by the lack of use across multiple devices enjoying true syncing and real "productivity". The increasing number of such iPad devices only adds weight to this belief. This will be a really good thing in my PERSONAL opinion.

 

[vrDrew]

There are two good reasons why it won't happen. And thirty million or so good reasons it will. (All the existing iPad owners...) The reasons it won't happen are these:

1) Microsoft Office suite components use a lot of file types that aren't supported on iOS. WMV, AVI, and WAV files for instance. Microsoft would have to include some sort of translator for these file types. Difficult, if not impossible.

2) The MS Office Suite is one of keys to MSFTs continued profitability. The fact that Office is the de facto standard for businesses around the world, and the fact that it works so well with whatever version of Windows OS they are selling, keeps those billions pouring into Redmond's coffers.

What would Microsoft make from an iOS version? Ten or twenty million downloads, at $20 a pop - $400 million. A lot of money by most normal standards. But if it threatens to unseat a business worth billions a year? Shortsighted.

The fact of the matter is that no one can be completely sure of how computer market in general, and the tablet market in particular, is going to work out. Microsoft is betting that a) the PC is going to continue to be the dominant platform in the personal computing world, that b) Tablets running some version of Windows 8 are going to appear fairly soon and c) those Tablets will scoop up a significant chunk of the "business tablet" market.

If Microsoft has guessed wrong on any one of those questions - they may live to regret their decision to forgo making some form of Office for iPads.

 

[Carouser]

It's possible, but not easy.

First, either you integrate all features of these programs which are hugely complex with capacities most consumer-level users never touch (e.g. Visual Basic); or you strip-down Office so that it runs better and more simply on iOS. In the latter case, the iCloud integration won't be seamless, since all files won't work the same way on both devices. Sure, a stripped-down version might work for some, but if that works for people, you might as well just go with Pages and Numbers.

Secondly, the interface is not going to port well to a touch-screen. Just look at it.

Thanks OP for a well-written and thought-out post.

 

[h00ligan]

No, those services will be offloaded to office live IMO.

 

[bobobenobi]

I spoke to the oracle on the top of the highest mountain and he said, "yes."

 

[ZombieZakk]

they could easily charge $50-$80 for an ipad/iphone version of office with excel powerpoint and word i know i would buy it for $80 it would make my ipad 2 so much more functional and it is not like microsoft is entirely anti the idea as there is office for mac.

so many business professionals would use this and if they put in place a cloud sync like iwork forget it my ipad could replace my laptop for some work needs since office suite is a large part of what i use.

 

[tritonj]

I don't know why you'd say doubtful. It's certainly a possibility given the 25 million iPads already sold and another 20+ million to be sold by year-end. It's certainly an opportunity for MS and one that they are likely considering.

doubtful because MS will want to hold that back for their tablet launch. it is essentially their "killer app". maybe a few years after their tablet launch they will make it available but hat is 50/50 at best. as long as a tablet is in the plans for MS they won't port Office to other platforms. they want to keep the incentive to use their tablet and their ecosystem. now if they get out of the market then they should to tap new sales

either way, it requires them to redesign the whole interface in order for it to work well on a tablet

 

[bowlerman625]

ask Microsoft!

 

[nwcs]

I would sooner expect MS to optimize web access for the iPad with their cloud version of Office.

 

[stu1]

a stripped-down version might work for some, but if that works for people, you might as well just go with Pages and Numbers.

Just for very simple word processing, I find Quick office HD pro quite usable and reliable, and even though iWork might be prettier, the latter's file size is usually huge compared with .doc or .xls. And quick office works pretty seamlessly with Dropbox.

 

[vvswarup]

I don't know why you'd say doubtful. It's certainly a possibility given the 25 million iPads already sold and another 20+ million to be sold by year-end. It's certainly an opportunity for MS and one that they are likely considering.

That's the very reason why there won't be MS Office on the iPad. Those 25 million people could have been using a netbook or a Windows computer. While MS Office is a deficiency, other things about the iPad must have attracted them to it so they must have decided to buy one anyway. Microsoft plans to release a tablet. There's no question about it. MS Office has potential to be a big selling point. Why take that away?

Then again, MS is a software company. Even if people don't use Windows, MS still makes tons of money on selling software so there is money to be made on MS Office for iOS. For this reason alone, MS may release MS Office but only well after the first Windows tablet hits the market.

 

[Michael CM1]

1) A proper version of Office? Isn't that an oxymoron?
2) Microsoft would be smart to do so, but this is the company that brought you Bob. I don't know if the Xbox can make up for that.
3) It's annoying personally to watch offices snap up Office like sheep because of some Holy Grail-esque compatibility crap that I always hear about but never understand. I mean what do these 9-to-5ers do that requires only Office? I have OpenOffice and Pages. I type words, I indent, I bold, I set tabs. My company is getting all new computers, and dammit I have seen those ugly Office icons at the bottom of the new computers we're getting. WHY do we spend this extra money on this crap?

 

[ffonsok]

Yes.