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That Microsoft is broadening where and how customers can use Office is interesting. But what's shocking is that the first tablet-optimized version of Office is

That Microsoft is broadening where and how customers can use Office is interesting. But what's shocking is that the first tablet-optimized version of Office is arriving not on Windows RT, but on iOS. That speaks volumes about the state of Windows today – and about how Nadella is under no illusions. Office for iPad may have started under Ballmer, but it's hard to imagine it getting this high a priority without his successor making what I'm sure was a tough call.

skrowl 13y ago
You know that the RT versions of Microsoft Surface (and other RT tables) come with Office and have since they launched, right? https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/home-and-student/office-2013-rt-office-for-windows-tablet-devices-FX103278460.aspx https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/home-and-student/office-2...
- yulaow 13y ago
  He stressed "tablet optimized version" The office on my surface is just the desktop one without any optimization for touch screens. Edit: and yes, I do not think that the "touch optimized features" they are describing on that site is enough for a real rt app.
- aroch 13y ago
  Yes, and the RT version is a pile of poop and neither version performs particularly well in a touch-only environment
- jwcooper 13y ago
  The Office for iPad looks much more optimized for touch screen devices, rather than having minor adjustments made to Office for desktop that RT looks to be using. I'm guessing the usability differences are night and day between the two devices.
- Maarten88 13y ago
  But what is still missing is a Metro version of Office. Historically, Office has always been the showcase on how to build proper Windows applications, it's where UI innovations are first introduced: i.e. embedding, multiple document interface, icon bar, ribbon. Since the introduction of the Metro ('modern') UI, Microsoft has not been able to really show the power and possibilities of it. Office for Metro should fix this, and show people how Metro is superior to the iOS and Android UI. Supposedly Office Metro has been in development for years (project Gemini), but as it turns out: it's not ready. And Office for iPad is. I hope we'll hear more about office for Metro soon, maybe next week at Build?
  - dep_b 13y ago
    I read that the Office branch of Microsoft allows exactly zero libraries and lines of code that they do not control. They use their own C-compiler, everything. That also means that they first need to copy Metro before they are prepared to use it. I can imagine that is quite a big task.
kyllo 13y ago
I think that it's a good strategy for Microsoft to make its software run on other platforms. This isn't the 1990s anymore where Windows is the dominant platform. It's not even the early 2000's with the "I'm a Mac vs. I'm a PC" meme. Now there are multiple popular platforms (at least in the consumer market), none with clear dominance, and meanwhile Microsoft's software only works on their own platform. They have to compete now, and their software should sell on its own merits, not because of platform lock-in network effects. This will make Microsoft a better company with a higher quality product.
- jamesbritt 13y ago
  Hasn't Office always been available for the Mac?
  - stingraycharles 13y ago
    I believe that is more because of Apple than because of Microsoft. Apple has a history of being pretty convincing towards these crucial applications. I believe Microsoft got out of a anti-trust suit from Apple if they agreed to release Office for Mac. And Apple has a love/hate relationship with Adobe too, in a similar way. It's kind of funny, though. Jobs was pragmatic enough to realize that it was better to get Microsoft to "open up" than to win the lawsuit. It's hard to say, but I definitely think it paid off.
  - kyllo 13y ago
    In a limited way. Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, and Communicator (i/o Lync) are available for Mac, but they are not even close to the Windows versions in terms of feature parity. VBA support has been on-and-off. Access, Infopath, and Publisher are not available at all. They're written in Cocoa and on a different release cycle. There is no Office for Mac 2013, current version is 2011.
    - selectodude 13y ago
      OneNote for Mac just came out, and it's really good. So they're obviously doing something in the MacBU.

skrowl 13y ago

You know that the RT versions of Microsoft Surface (and other RT tables) come with Office and have since they launched, right? https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/home-and-student/office-2013-rt-office-for-windows-tablet-devices-FX103278460.aspx https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/home-and-student/office-2...

yulaow 13y ago
He stressed "tablet optimized version" The office on my surface is just the desktop one without any optimization for touch screens. Edit: and yes, I do not think that the "touch optimized features" they are describing on that site is enough for a real rt app.
aroch 13y ago
Yes, and the RT version is a pile of poop and neither version performs particularly well in a touch-only environment
jwcooper 13y ago
The Office for iPad looks much more optimized for touch screen devices, rather than having minor adjustments made to Office for desktop that RT looks to be using. I'm guessing the usability differences are night and day between the two devices.
Maarten88 13y ago
But what is still missing is a Metro version of Office. Historically, Office has always been the showcase on how to build proper Windows applications, it's where UI innovations are first introduced: i.e. embedding, multiple document interface, icon bar, ribbon. Since the introduction of the Metro ('modern') UI, Microsoft has not been able to really show the power and possibilities of it. Office for Metro should fix this, and show people how Metro is superior to the iOS and Android UI. Supposedly Office Metro has been in development for years (project Gemini), but as it turns out: it's not ready. And Office for iPad is. I hope we'll hear more about office for Metro soon, maybe next week at Build?
- dep_b 13y ago
  I read that the Office branch of Microsoft allows exactly zero libraries and lines of code that they do not control. They use their own C-compiler, everything. That also means that they first need to copy Metro before they are prepared to use it. I can imagine that is quite a big task.

kyllo 13y ago

I think that it's a good strategy for Microsoft to make its software run on other platforms. This isn't the 1990s anymore where Windows is the dominant platform. It's not even the early 2000's with the "I'm a Mac vs. I'm a PC" meme. Now there are multiple popular platforms (at least in the consumer market), none with clear dominance, and meanwhile Microsoft's software only works on their own platform. They have to compete now, and their software should sell on its own merits, not because of platform lock-in network effects. This will make Microsoft a better company with a higher quality product.

jamesbritt 13y ago
Hasn't Office always been available for the Mac?
- stingraycharles 13y ago
  I believe that is more because of Apple than because of Microsoft. Apple has a history of being pretty convincing towards these crucial applications. I believe Microsoft got out of a anti-trust suit from Apple if they agreed to release Office for Mac. And Apple has a love/hate relationship with Adobe too, in a similar way. It's kind of funny, though. Jobs was pragmatic enough to realize that it was better to get Microsoft to "open up" than to win the lawsuit. It's hard to say, but I definitely think it paid off.
- kyllo 13y ago
  In a limited way. Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, and Communicator (i/o Lync) are available for Mac, but they are not even close to the Windows versions in terms of feature parity. VBA support has been on-and-off. Access, Infopath, and Publisher are not available at all. They're written in Cocoa and on a different release cycle. There is no Office for Mac 2013, current version is 2011.
  - selectodude 13y ago
    OneNote for Mac just came out, and it's really good. So they're obviously doing something in the MacBU.