“There have been rumours about Office for iPad for a couple of years now — indeed, a Microsoft executive can rarely appear in public these days without getting asked about it,” Steve Ranger writes for ZDNet. “Although Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently seemed to quash speculation about it once more, the rumour keeps on springing up. That’s because Microsoft’s decisions about Office for iPad send a signal about its broader strategy.”
“Gartner research director Michael Silver also argues that Microsoft should release Office for iPad — and soon,” Ranger writes. “As the PC market continues to erode and the tablet market continues to grow, there’s still a really big opportunity there, he argues.”
Ranger writes, “Microsoft also has to make a bigger strategic decision. ‘The Microsoft Office group needs to decide if they’re in the business of selling Office products or propping up Windows,’ says Silver. ‘If they’re in the business of selling Office, then the iPad and other tablets are a huge opportunity — and if they don’t do it, someone else will… The danger is that people will see a $20 or $30 product, get used to it, and decide that it’s good enough.'”
“By offering Office on the iPad, Microsoft would be effectively acknowledging that Apple had won: it would be an admission that Windows 8 tablets — including its own Surface Pro — had failed to grab market share,” Ranger writes. “In turn, this would signify that the tenure of Windows as the default platform for enterprise customers and consumers is over.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The more people who learn the fact that they do not need Office and the quicker they learn it, the better.
For all we care (being 100% Microsoft free for as long as we can remember) wait until you’re dead, Microsoft. The world would be a better place without you and your ilk.
Related articles:
Microsoft exec sidesteps ‘Office for iPad’ questions – February 26, 2013
To stellar CEO Steve Ballmer, Office without iPad support makes ‘a lot of sense’ – January 30, 2013
Crash and burn: Windows RT tablet sales in 2012 likely to total less than one million units – – January 30, 2013
Windows 8 bloat: Microsoft’s 64GB Surface Pro will offer users only 23GB of available storage space – January 29, 2013
Microsoft doesn’t reveal Surface sales, and probably never will – January 24, 2013
Microsoft blames PC makers for Windows 8 flop – January 24, 2013
Fujitsu President: Weak demand for Microsoft’s Windows 8 killing PC Sales – December 28, 2012
Philip Greenspun: Microsoft’s Windows 8 is a Christmas gift for someone you hate – December 7, 2012
MKM Partners cuts Microsoft price target, estimates on lower than expected Surface, Windows 8 sales – December 5, 2012
Why Microsoft’s Surface tablet is doomed – December 5, 2012
App developers shun Microsoft’s Surface tablet – December 4, 2012
Microsoft Surface Pro to offer only half the battery life of Apple’s latest iPad with Retina display – November 30, 2012
Microsoft’s Surface Pro iPad killer to start at $899 – November 29, 2012
Microsoft’s Surface tablet flops, orders reportedly cut in half – November 29, 2012
TechCrunch’s Siegler reviews Microsoft Surface RT: ‘It’s time for a drop test – right into the garbage can’ – November 19, 2012
Slate reviews Microsoft’s Surface tablet: Too slow, mercilessly buggy; why is it so bad? – November 6, 2012
InfoWorld reviews Microsoft Surface RT: A disappointment; you’re better off with Apple’s iPad – October 31, 2012
Gizmodo reviews Microsoft Surface RT: Do not buy; inferior to Apple’s iPad; the worst of both worlds – October 25, 2012
The Verge reviews Microsoft Surface RT tablet: ‘The whole thing is honestly perplexing; who is this for?’ – October 24, 2012
ZDNet’s Kingsley-Hughes: Microsoft’s Windows 8 is an awful, horrible, painful design disaster – June 8, 2012
Analyst meets with big computer maker, finds ‘general lack of enthusiasm’ for Windows 8 – June 8, 2012
Dvorak: Windows 8 an unmitigated disaster; unusable and annoying; it makes your teeth itch – June 3, 2012
The Guardian: Microsoft’s Windows 8 is confusing as hell; an appalling user experience – March 5, 2012
More good news for Apple: Microsoft previews Windows 8 (with video) – June 1, 2011
