“Microsoft is expected to announce the next version of Office today, and it has already prepped a new “Office Next” blog in advance of the official details. Internally, the project has been known as Office 15, but unless Microsoft plans to disrupt its standard naming conventions (now, that would be news!), we’re awaiting arrival of “Office 2013″ today – a Windows 8-friendly version of the Office Suite,” Sarah Perez reports for TechCurnch.
“While we already know that Microsoft is prepping a version of Office for ARM (with its dual traditional/Metro mode), we won’t know until later on today whether or not the version designed for use on the x86 architecture will look the same, which features it will include, and which the web apps will include,” Perez reports. “Look for a new UI that ditches the Ribbon, and makes the new version of Office something that better fits in with the Windows 8 Metro UI instead.”
“We’re also hoping that Microsoft addresses the elephant in the room – the glaring lack of Office on iPad,” Perez reports. “t’s not like the company isn’t already developing for the iOS platform – it already has OneNote on there, for example, among other things. But Microsoft has a tough choice here, you have to admit. Rolling out an iPad version of Office could discourage users from waiting for the forthcoming Microsoft Surface tablet or another Windows 8 PC. It could basically damage the enterprise appeal of Microsoft’s own Windows-based offerings. Meanwhile not launching on iPad is like being stupidly blind to the obvious: the iPad has tremendous market share that doesn’t look like it’s waning anytime soon – why not capture those users’ dollars, too?”
Much more in the full article here.
Related article:
Microsoft to make mystery announcement today at noon PDT– July 16, 2012
I only see ulterior motives here.
Create a crippled version of Office for iPad to highlight how much better it runs on MS’s Surface.
Or, more likely, no Office for iPad at all, at least for now.
Yup. If “Office” for iPad appears it will be crippled…that much is guaranteed.
Could care less though, as I longer use Office on ANY platform anymore. Can’t trust it/them.
If you *could* care less, it means you DO care.
Who the hell cares? I don’t use ANYTHING Microshaft on my Mac. Pfhhhht! Even the thought disgusts me…
This way of thinking is counterproductive. The reality is that millions of people use Office software. Most of them are NOT Mac users, but many are iPad users. Office for iPad removes a barrier to purchase to purchasing the iPad for a BIG group of people. So while I’m happy that you don’t need to use Office on YOUR Mac, don’t mistake the reality that Office on iPad makes it a more compelling product for a huge slice of the market. That said, leave it to MS to make it a hobbled product.
Spark, you just overstated yourself.
Look at all the millions of iPad sales that have taken the market by storm, and not ONE Microsoft product was needed to make thoes sales, corporate customers by the hundreds are purchasing the iPad for thier company’s by the hundreds of thousands lets not forget the Schools, Airlines, etc.
Office is not needed to sell anything Apple, as proven Office is a has-been product it is an okay option to have, but it’s not needed in the tablet world or a killer App to have to be the want all.
Apple has proven they do just fine without Microsoft.
iWork is a very suitable Product to take care of all thoes needs, and with IOS6…. Look out.
Seeing how Microsoft has screwed so many Apple users over the years and also corporate windows customers, they have fallen out of favor with more big corps then not.
Hell we haven’t even seen this vapor-ware software, let alone it’s tablet.
Millions of other people may disagree with you. Office Excel is a more powerful spreadsheet than Numbers. In comparison, Numbers is “crippled”. Bringing Excel to the iPad may force Apple to improve Numbers.
I have to agree with what your saying. I’m sure the iPad Office app will be crippled to make the iPad look inferior to the ZunePad. I understand why Microsoft would do it, so it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. It’s a business and Microsoft is desperate. Unfortunately, Apple can’t do a thing about it. Hopefully, consumers won’t touch those ZunePads if Apple offers the iPad at a lower price or same price as the ZunePad. I’m hoping ZunePad sales are non-existent because consumers won’t want to take the risk.
Any other company would roll out office for iPad. But this is Microsoft…
Remember when the iPod was Mac only? Apple made the right call then. Funny how MS is in the same position now.
Not really, office is a “has-been” product, and as yet to even be seen running on any tablets.
And the iPod was different since its was Hardware Product, that really is in a completely different league compared to a software product.
A software Product only for say a Windows based tablet only and not ipad will not effect Apple in the least, the adoption rate for the ipad has overtaken and infiltrated the market, Microsoft is beating a dead horse and needs to realize that, and addition to the app store as a product is a good choice but as a deal breaker if only offered for windows based tablets… Forget it.
Microsoft doesn’t even have the clout it once had and has been losing money with almost every product that’s been hardware, the problem is Microsoft should go back to it roots and try to develop, but thoes days are long gone, Only the Xbox has shown a marginal profit but after millions of dollars in failed hardware and warranty repairs it’s up in the air if even that has been a success, the kin failed, the Zune failed, on and on.
If they are even slightly bright and have any sort of strategy (other than Ballmer, we already know he isn’t bright and doesn’t have a strategy) they will realize that they are a SOFTWARE company, and will make a great version of Office for the iPad. I bet the attach rate would be astronomical.
Of course, they will probably not announce Office for iPad, and instead will release an “Office Viewer” for iPad, not realizing that no one needs that as we can already view office docs.
The only thing I would even want from Office for iPad is Excel – Numbers just doesn’t cut it for me (the Mac version doesn’t either).
I also doubt MS would sell each app individually like Apple does with the iWork apps.
First, Office 2013 for PC will be Office 2014 for Mac, if not 2015. Be prepared to wait. Of course, that may not be a bad thing, Office 2011 Mac is almost marginally stable now.
Second, they will make a version of Office for iPad and price it such that they get as much, if not more, revenue from selling one copy of iPad Office as they do from selling one bundle of WART+WARTy Office. That is their Mac business model. Compare the price of Office Mac to what it cost to add Office to a Dell POS.
(WART = Windows on ARM RT)
If Office for Mac is delayed, but Apple releases a really strong updated, long overdue iWork suite, I’ll be just fine.
Let the good times roll!
My vote is Office for iPad, crippled.
M$ thinks windows 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Microsoft isn’t smart enough to realize it has 2 really tough competitors, Google and Apple. Google Apps is making inroads, and if M$ does cripple office on the iPad, M$ will see a huge dent in Office. Once the move starts, it’s not going to stop.
News just in.
The event has been cancelled. Their vapourware still isn’t quite ready.
[splortch] The sound of coffee hitting my monitor!
+1
An Office product is hardly worthy of a press conference like this. Though this *is* Microsoft desperate to ape Apple and Steve Jobs, so it’s possible.
More likely an announcement of a news service, seeing as they just broke away from the MSNBC venture.
“Rolling out an iPad version of Office could discourage users from waiting for the forthcoming Microsoft Surface tablet or another Windows 8 PC. It could basically damage the enterprise appeal of Microsoft’s own Windows-based offerings.”
And this is why I doubt an iPad office release anytime soon.
After the tablet starts failing (in stores…)
Microsoft is a software company. They should be making office for all the OSes period.
MS is a business, and therefore wants to make money. They’ll put something out for the iPad even as they try to compete with it, as they did with Office for Mac.
woo. … … … hoo.
goddamn I’m excited! an update to a 22 year old word processor and spreadshit app…be still, my beating heart!
I need to go lie down, it’s all just too much.
I’m perfectly satisfied with my older version of Office for Mac (2011 Version 14.0). I’ve been using MS Office for umpteen years and have no interest at all in upgrading it further. It’s always had more features than I’ve ever needed so I don’t need anymore features. It runs well enough to do the job and I have no major problems to need to upgrade. Microsoft isn’t getting another penny from me. I have a feeling most consumers and corporations will say the same thing. I believe MS is looking at a rough road ahead in terms of revenue.
TechCurnch