Microsoft now offers Office for free on mobile devices, launches Android tablet Preview

[Shawn Knight]

Those needing evidence of the radical changes underway at Microsoft needn’t look any further than today’s news. The Redmond-based company on Thursday announced that its Office suite of apps – Word, Excel and PowerPoint – are now available free of charge on Android and iOS devices.

Office is one of Microsoft’s oldest and most successful products ever. Originally launched in 1990, the suite of apps accounted for nearly a third of Microsoft’s revenue – or around $26 billion – during the last fiscal year.

Considering how important Office is for Microsoft’s bottom line, it initially seems crazy to simply give the software away for free to mobile users. But as Microsoft head of Office marketing Michael Atalla explains, it’s not a total strategic shift but rather an extension of their existing strategy.

That makes sense when you consider Microsoft already offers free Office apps online. Essentially, they’re taking the same user experience provided online and bringing it to native apps for Android and iOS. The goal, Atalla said, is to make sure customers can be productive across all the devices they have.

It’s worth pointing out that Microsoft is only extending the offer to individual users. Businesses will still be required to have an Office 365 subscription to edit documents, we’re told.

What’s more, Microsoft has launched the start of their Office for Android tablet Preview. Those interested in the Android Preview will need to be using an Android tablet with a screen size between 7 inches and 10.1 inches running KitKat. Interestingly enough, Microsoft isn’t looking for tablets running Lollipop at this time.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/58727-microsoft-now-offers-office-free-mobile-devices-launches.html

 

[Kibaruk]

Awesome! This is past their due time but awesome non the less

 

[cliffordcooley]

What a joke!

 

[Guest]

What about the Windows tablets?

 

[Guest]

What a joke!

So says the clown himself!!!
Really, Microsoft cant even give their stuff away for free and you'll find something to complain about, although what it is this time I cannot see. Last I checked you didn't think Google was a joke with their Google Docs? Or is it simply the fact that regardless of how good the offer or product is, even if its free, you just don't like the brand attached to the product? Especially when said brand is Microsoft, did I get that right? Yes its for mobile devices and for individuals but I'll even wager that if Microsoft were to suddenly announce that Windows was free tomorrow, you would have a mouthful of negative things to say about it.

 

[cliffordcooley]

So says the clown himself!!!

You have me mistaken with someone else.

 

[Kibaruk]

What a joke!

I knew it... I knew someone would complain over microsoft even when they were giving stuff for free.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Wow this is the only reason I bought into Office 365: to get office on my iPad. Eh at least when Office 2015 comes out I can get it free .

 

[cliffordcooley]

I knew it... I knew someone would complain over microsoft even when they were giving stuff for free.

The joke is people using Office on a Phone, not the fact that MS is giving it away.

 

[Teko03]

What about the Windows tablets?

Touch optimized Office will be debuting with Windows 10. Expect it to have the same look and design as the iOS and Android versions.

 

[Guest]

@cliffordcooley you couldn't be more wrong or short sighted.. I use office on my windows phone all the time. Sorry to burst your bubble. I can open view and make quick edits on the go. I don't need to pull out my laptop unless I need to do some serious editing or creation..

 

[cliffordcooley]

@cliffordcooley you couldn't be more wrong or short sighted.

I take it that was an unintentional pun. You are the one using a phone. Ohh and I'm still laughing, so for my part it is still a joke. Blondes may not always see blonde jokes as funny either, so whats your point!

 

[Kibaruk]

The joke is people using Office on a Phone, not the fact that MS is giving it away.

Extremely short sighted.

What about a small company, like my dad's where he uses an excel spreadsheet with conditional formating and formulas that he moves around through Dropbox, he can view the sheet on his phone but he can't add quick info and save because it looses all the special formats and formulas.

So again, extremely short sighted, since it's not meant for full office on the go, just enough to make those quick adds and substracts wherever you may need them.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Extremely short sighted.

You should use a different term for this example, I'm not the one spending hours looking at a phone.

 

[Kibaruk]

You should use a different term for this example, I'm not the one spending hours looking at a phone.

Keep on proving the point.

It's like saying a musician is bad because you don't like it, the fact that you don't like it doesn't mean the musician is bad.

 

[Arris]

You should use a different term for this example, I'm not the one spending hours looking at a phone.

Keep on proving the point.

It's like saying a musician is bad because you don't like it, the fact that you don't like it doesn't mean the musician is bad.

It was a joke, short sighted, staring at a little phone screen for hours on end...

Could be worse, your company could be advocating the use of OpenOffice. I've seen some really weird things going on with "compatible" MS Office document formats going between OpenOffice and MS Office.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Keep on proving the point.

It's like saying a musician is bad because you don't like it, the fact that you don't like it doesn't mean the musician is bad.

No I'm the one that doesn't want to wake up one morning to find my only option for computing is looking at a ****ing 4" phone. There is nothing short sighted about that. If you want to do your processing from a phone, go right ahead. And I will continue to laugh at how funny all you people are for your shortsighted (literally) processing.

 

[Kibaruk]

It was a joke, short sighted, staring at a little phone screen for hours on end...

I know it was a joke but it was not in the comical way, it was the deuschiness way.

 

[Arris]

I agree Kibaruk, mobile office for Android should not screw up formulas by being edited on a phone/tablet. That's a huge oversight. Obviously know one wants to do massive amounts of work to a spreadsheet on a phone but recording a few bits of information in one on the move, which to me is perfectly reasonable, shouldn't mess it up. Not formatting or formulas, pivot table configurations or any other previous 'processing'.

 

[Fletcher holman]

I knew it... I knew someone would complain over microsoft even when they were giving stuff for free.

The joke is people using Office on a Phone, not the fact that MS is giving it away.

This is very true. MS Office is designed for and intended to be used on a desktop or laptop. Using this feature on a tablet or mobile device would be a pain in the rear. MS knows this and that is why it being free for mobile devices does not really effect the company.

 

[Kibaruk]

Using this feature on a tablet or mobile device would be a pain in the rear.

So, if I have a tablet and a keyboard, why would it be a pain? It's practically a laptop on a smaller form, was a pain to use office on netbooks? Back when I had one it wasn't.

The thing is... stop being so narrow minded, it's not meant to replace or displace the traditional desktop and/or laptop, it's meant for different usage, as explained and exampled this could mean wonders for a lot of people who don't need a desktop with them to do quick fixes or checkups on data they have.

 

[Fletcher holman]

Using this feature on a tablet or mobile device would be a pain in the rear.

So, if I have a tablet and a keyboard, why would it be a pain? It's practically a laptop on a smaller form, was a pain to use office on netbooks? Back when I had one it wasn't.

The thing is... stop being so narrow minded, it's not meant to replace or displace the traditional desktop and/or laptop, it's meant for different usage, as explained and exampled this could mean wonders for a lot of people who don't need a desktop with them to do quick fixes or checkups on data they have.

That is great! Good for you and the very small percent who do use the mobile versions! My point is that the majority of users are not on mobile devices (You can check the stats on that if you would like). Therefore this does not effect MS in the bottom line. Is it nice of them? sure. Is it going to benefit the majority of office users? no.

 

[Kibaruk]

According to whom it won't? Did you check the infographic shown?

This is meant for mobile device users, so don't talk about majority since they are not taking into consideration at all the desktop/laptop universe. I couldn't care a rats arse if microsoft is affected or not by these, all I care is that this is great for the universe of mobile device users.

Stop being so narrow minded, please.

 

[tipstir]

I use Kingsoft Office Free very light on the system thus you can view/save/print all MS Office versions Word, Spreadsheets and Presentations. Sure you want more that Kingsoft Office Free doesn't give you then use MS Office. On my Windows Tablet I use Kingsoft Office Free on 8.1 Media Center Edition. My Windows Phone 8.1 has some sort of Office on there from MS. I rarely never use it.

Any case we all here us Office in many different ways. Let the $124.2 billion dollar Microsoft Company give away software to use beta/work-in-process software users. No matter what with all these patches, updates then when they can't patch no more, you get notice for new OS coming out. More of the same patching, updating until another OS. Like a routine with all software companies.

 

[Tanstar]

Keep on proving the point.

It's like saying a musician is bad because you don't like it, the fact that you don't like it doesn't mean the musician is bad.

No I'm the one that doesn't want to wake up one morning to find my only option for computing is looking at a ****ing 4" phone. There is nothing short sighted about that. If you want to do your processing from a phone, go right ahead. And I will continue to laugh at how funny all you people are for your shortsighted (literally) processing.

Continuing to say the same *****ic junk doesn't make you right, nor empress anyone (except maybe your mom, call her down to the basement and show off). For those of us with jobs, sometimes we have to travel and still check our emails and attachments. Personally, I use OfficeSuite 8 Pro, but this could be useful at some point and is certainly a nice option. Currently I have my laptop plugged into my dock and dual screens for viewing Office documents, but tomorrow I may be on the road. That's a fact for millions and now that time doesn't have to be 100% wasted time (as long as someone else is driving).