Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

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Faye Kane, homeless brain,
User Rank: Strategist
6/20/2013 | 12:51:23 AM

re: Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

==--
Microsoft reminds me of that monkey trap where the bait is in a tethered coconut with an opening big enough for a hand but not a fist. The monkey grabs the food but can't remove his hand while holding the food, and is captured because he is too greedy to do what is in his own best interest.

It's too late now, but all MS needed to do to continue to own the IT market was to make the best, most usable software they could and sell it cheaply. But instead of doing what's best for the customer, Ballmer does what's best for Microsoft.

His company is sinking into irrelevance because he thinks there's a difference.

-flk

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Faye Kane, homeless brain,
User Rank: Strategist
6/20/2013 | 12:41:41 AM

re: Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

==--
So how do you edit a video using Office, paid Microsoft shill?

And don't pretend that you think Acrobat is needed to generate PDFs. I use Open Office, and just yesterday I generated a PDF my book by clicking File -> Export PDF -> Ok.

*THREE* clicks.

If Ballmer invested as much in usability as he does in trying to fool us with paid liars, maybe your company wouldn't be as desperate as it is.

But maybe not. Given what Open Office can do, any IT manager that makes his company pay for a nearly-unusable product (read: ribbon interface) instead of a superior free one, is either incompetent or being paid by Ballmer's gang to recommend Microsoft's inferior products ...just like you are.

-faye

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moarsauce123,
User Rank: Ninja
6/17/2013 | 6:42:38 PM

re: Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

Developers, in general, won't be making apps for iOS for much longer. Apple is spiraling themselves out of business.

http://bit.ly/IC4m9t

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melgross,
User Rank: Ninja
6/17/2013 | 4:10:51 PM

re: Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

You don't need Acrobat for that. Particularly if you already have a Mac or iOS device, all of which offer PDF as a native format. You just select Print. And save as a PDF. Very simple.

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Terabyte Net,
User Rank: Apprentice
6/17/2013 | 11:48:57 AM

re: Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

PDFs? Really? So you're creating documents in Acrobat? I seriously doubt that. Acrobat Pro is so clumsy that creating even a simple memo in Acrobat is a chore. People creating documents use Office. Those down the food chain may get a PDF of a memo or company policy, but those charged with creating company documents, policies, procedures, sales guides, etc... are creating them in full blown office, not Office for the Web or some toy app, but full blown .exes. I've asked repeatedly for someone to show me how any app on an iToy can substitute for full Office and thus far no one has demonstrated this. You can type a simple memo or e-mail, but a PowerPoint presentation for your next $100 million promotion or editing a video for your next commercial? Seriously not going to happen anytime soon on a toy.

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SteffenJobbs,
User Rank: Strategist
6/16/2013 | 4:32:22 AM

re: Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

By not putting Office on the iPad, I think Microsoft is only hurting itself. Maybe the company still has a thread of hope that its own tablets are going to start selling in huge quantities. I wonder about that reasoning.

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Scripter23,
User Rank: Apprentice
6/16/2013 | 1:13:02 AM

re: Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

Defending MS Office is a losing proposition. Ten years ago I had to be up to date as to the version of Office I used. Now no one cares. Rarely do corporate people send out word documents. Mostly we use PDFs. When I do get an Office document I can edit it with iWork. The format might be a bit off, but who can tell? Now different versions of Office also introduce rendering errors. There are about a hundred million tablet users finding ways to get by without Office and the number grows every day. People without tablets have to accommodate tablet users simply because of their numbers. Corporations are adopting iPads at a fast clip and those users don't use Office. I don't see how MS wins. They are not innovating. They are not trying to entice users with a great product. They are trying to dig in their heels and prevent people from moving on to other solutions.

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Andrew Hornback,
User Rank: Apprentice
6/15/2013 | 9:00:11 PM

re: Why Microsoft Won't Release Office For The iPad

It's almost as if Microsoft is trying to figure out which throat to cut - their own or their users.

As someone who has to deal with Microsoft's support for their Office 365 product on a nearly daily basis, since I'm supporting an enterprise that utilizes that service, either things work or they're excruciating.

To be honest, I generally deal with the Hosted Exchange, Lync and Sharepoint products - but I'm aware of organizations who have those services from Microsoft but are looking at moving them back in-house due to a lack of service stability. Organizations run on e-mail, IM and knowledge sharing these days.

With that kind of experience, I would be extremely hesitant to endorse the Office Web Apps for any enterprise setting. Microsoft would really need to make some strides in the stability of their ability to provide service.

As far as getting Office on your iPad or even Android, for an organization of sufficient size, I'd recommend something like a VDI implementation where people could use an iPad based client to reach a real Windows desktop and use real Windows applications on it.

For Microsoft to consider putting Office natively on the iPad would be them surrendering the tablet market and effectively turning the Surface line into the next HP Touchsmart debacle. Ubiquity comes at a high price - you can't try to lock people into one application suite on a small number of platforms, especially in this day and age.

Andrew Hornback
InformationWeek Contributor

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