Microsoft launching beta programs for upcoming Android tablet version of Office

[Justin Kahn]

Microsoft is readying an entirely tablet focused version of Office for Android, and reports say the company is currently looking for testers to give the upcoming apps a spin. Now nearly a year after we got Office for Android phones, the Office team is launching pre-release beta programs for the tablet version which includes its entire line of Microsoft Office client, server and cloud services. Participants can expect to see new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Visio, Access, various Outlook applications and more.

The Android tablet version of Office is now the second tablet focused platform Microsoft is bringing its flagship software suite to, after the iPad version hit back in March. The new Office for Android tablets is expected to launch later this year with a similar touch optimized interface found on the iPhone version. It also looks to be coming to market ahead of the Windows tablet iteration, which isn't expected until early next year.

Another version expected to get a refresh before the Windows tablets is Office for Mac. As we previously reported, Business Group Lead at Microsoft Germany Thorsten Hübschen said we were likely to see the long awaited Mac refresh before the year is out.

Businesses and individual users interested in participating in the pre-release beta programs can head over to Microsoft's "Tell Us About You" pages and submit a survey. 

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https://www.techspot.com/news/57297-microsoft-launching-beta-programs-for-upcoming-android-tablet-version-of-office.html

 

[psycros]

Still don't see why anyone would want to suffer at trying to be productive on a tablet. Sure, you can buy a wireless keyboard but at that point you've basically paid for a low-powered laptop that may not even support a mouse.

 

[Kibaruk]

Still don't see why anyone would want to suffer at trying to be productive on a tablet. Sure, you can buy a wireless keyboard but at that point you've basically paid for a low-powered laptop that may not even support a mouse.

You are looking at it all wrong, let me give you an example:

I work with a colleague on the same spreadsheet, where we manage workload for a small transportation company, having information on drivers, points of origin and destionation and who/what/etc etc etc. This sheet is xlsx and it contains special formating that no other suite currently available for android can manage (Resulting in a saved file deleting all the special format and complex formulas), yes I can read it but I can't modify it.

Now, my partner receives a call with a request for transportation, he stopped driving and is parked needing to see the workload ASAP and determine which driver could do the job, and of course he needs to add this to the sheet.

Yes, he could have with him in his backpack his laptop, which he would have to go and get and power on and wait and use uncomfortably in a car, or, he could do the same on his phone or tablet in way less time.

When you talk productivity you are thinking he will sit to write a whole esay on his tablet, which is not how other people think about it.

On bigger trips when you have space and weight restrictions it's always better to move light with a tablet+wireless keyboard, instead of a bulky notebook, etc etc etc.

 

[ET3D]

Still don't see why anyone would want to suffer at trying to be productive on a tablet. Sure, you can buy a wireless keyboard but at that point you've basically paid for a low-powered laptop that may not even support a mouse.

Sure, you paid for a low-powered laptop, but you paid only around $200 and it weighs just 500g with the keyboard (assuming a 7" tablet).

I edited stories on a Psion Series 5mx, so don't talk to me about low powered small laptops, sonny.