Download the
Tom's Guide App from the AppsStore
News and trends on internet
/ mobile / "sound & picture" / IT
Yes No

Microsoft Not Making Office for iPad

- By - Source : Tom's Guide US

Despite previous talk about the possibility, Microsoft said that Office isn't coming to the iPad after all.

Apparently back in February there was some indication that Microsoft might bring its Office suite to Apple's iPad device. Mike Tedesco, Microsoft’s Senior Product Manager for the Macintosh business unit, originally said that the company was looking into the possibility, calling the device "fresh." The Redmond, Washington-based company already planned to bring Office to the Mac in 2011-- an iPad version seemed inevitable.

But on Thursday Stephen Elop, president of Microsoft’s business division, said that the company has no plans to make a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad. In fact, he told BusinessWeek that Microsoft is taking a "wait and see" approach in regards to tailoring any kind of new software for the Apple tablet. With that said, he didn't rule out the possibility of iPad owners using the web-based version of its Office suite.

As stated in previous reports, Microsoft Office 2010 is expected to hit store shelves on May 12. According to Elop, big corporate partners aren't interested in free Internet office solutions like Google Docs. Rather, they're more interested in cloud-based versions, and are pressing Microsoft to develop a version of Office to fill that need.

As for Google and its free, online office offering, Elop told BusinessWeek that the rival search engine giant hasn't made any headway against Microsoft in regards to the business software market. "We haven’t heard anything about Google making inroads against Office, because they’re not," Elop said.

Microsoft's decision to withdraw Office development for the iPad may stem from Apple's decision to bring its iWork suite to the new tablet.

Share:
25
Comments
X

Comments

TomD_1 04/03/2010 4:50 AM
Hide
-19+

I didn't think anyone would actually buy an ipad for serious work anyway.

gekko668 04/03/2010 4:59 AM
Hide
-14+

Microsoft isn't going to make Office suite for the ipad when they are porting office for the Courier - a direct competitor to the ipad.

Wolygon 04/03/2010 6:15 AM
Hide
-10+

TomD_1 :
I didn't think anyone would actually buy an ipad for serious work anyway.


Maybe that should be:
"I didn't think anyone who would actually buy an ipad does serious work anyway."

darkknight22 04/03/2010 7:12 AM
Show
kennyforgames 04/03/2010 7:29 AM
Hide
--2+

Maybe that should be:
"I didn't think anyone who would actually buy an ipad does serious work anyway."

Maybe that should be:
I don't think anyone does serious work would buy an ipad anyway.

Wolygon 04/03/2010 7:58 AM
Hide
--3+

My head hurts.

Anonymous 04/03/2010 8:06 AM
Hide
-3+

"Maybe that should be:
I don't think anyone does serious work would buy an ipad anyway."

Maybe that should be:
I don't think anyone would buy an ipad, seriously.

theduckofdeath 04/03/2010 9:26 AM
Hide
--2+

the_punkinator :
My head hurts.



Maybe that should be:
Hurt mys head.

Clintonio 04/03/2010 10:56 AM
Hide
-3+

theduckofdeath :
Maybe that should be:Hurt mys head.



Maybe that should be:
Hurts my head.

JohnnyLucky 04/03/2010 1:47 PM
Hide
-1+

"...he didn't rule out the possibility of iPad owners using the web-based version of its Office suite."

I guess MS figures they already have it covered.

velocityg4 04/03/2010 2:22 PM
Hide
-4+

Maybe they just don't want to port office then have Apple reject it from the app store saying it duplicates some of iWork functions or other lame excuse.

tranzz 04/03/2010 4:29 PM
Hide
-0+

Lets hope the cloud based version don't have any flash content :)

wasteoftime 04/03/2010 4:31 PM
Hide
-0+

I think it's probably because Microsoft is too busy trying to port Crysis to the iPad just to see if it will run.

jsc 04/03/2010 4:37 PM
Hide
-0+

Yodaspeak, "Hurts my head, it does."

Anonymous 04/03/2010 5:08 PM
Show
hakesterman 04/03/2010 8:01 PM
Hide
-0+

I'm sure their is a conflict of interest there, but i wouldn't be surprised to see it show up in a few years.

Anonymous 04/03/2010 8:21 PM
Hide
-0+

i don't know about this one. i honestly would hate to use the touch screen when typing up a 5 paragraph essay.

Anonymous 04/03/2010 11:27 PM
Hide
--1+

Actually a lot of people want to use the iPad for work. Citrix Receiver for iPad allows you to use any windows app or virtual desktop from the iPad. More info at http://citrix.com/ipad

Regulas 04/03/2010 11:41 PM
Hide
--2+

ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz, who freaking cares. Office is over rated and over priced like Adobe products.

Anonymous 04/04/2010 5:37 AM
Hide
--2+

According to Microsoft's Stephen Elop, "the company has no plans to make a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad. In fact ... Microsoft is taking a "wait and see" approach in regards to tailoring any kind of new software for the Apple tablet."

Translation: "We've got so much money we don't care about new stuff any more. Gold rush? Who cares? Customers? Screw 'em. We got plenty already."

Elop "didn't rule out the possibility of iPad owners using the web-based version of its Office suite."

Translation: The skunkweed in Seattle is particularly potent at this timeof the year.

Freakykiwi 04/04/2010 11:09 PM
Hide
-1+

"big corporate partners aren't interested in free Internet office solutions like Google Docs. Rather, they're more interested in cloud-based versions"

I thought Google Apps was a cloud-based solution?

blackjellognomes 04/05/2010 1:40 AM
Hide
-2+

I imagine it'd be difficult to do any office-related work on the iPad, simply due to its form.

thebigt42 04/05/2010 3:28 PM
Hide
-0+

chrisfleck :
Actually a lot of people want to use the iPad for work. Citrix Receiver for iPad allows you to use any windows app or virtual desktop from the iPad. More info at http://citrix.com/ipad


Works on the Ipod touch and the Iphone too...just small screens

dman3k 04/05/2010 5:44 PM
Hide
-0+

Did they already made it with Office Live? It even runs great on ChromeOS.

ailgatrat 04/06/2010 3:36 AM
Hide
-1+

People actually bought this to do serious work??? I figured this was just to give you a larger screen for pron and to watch youtube videos. Personally, I think it would make for a kick ass control center for a home media center though.