Microsoft Office for iPad Coming 'Sooner Than Most Think'

Microsoft has been rumored for a number of years to be bringing its Office productivity suite to the iPad, and according to a new report from ZDNet, it is coming "sooner than most think." Sources have indicated to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley that Office for iPad may even arrive before the "touch first" Windows version that had been reported to be leading the way.

But I hear Ballmer and the senior leaders of the company may have had a change of heart towards the end of last year. According to one of my contacts, Ballmer OK'd the suggestion by the Office team that they'd bring Office for iPad to market as soon as it was ready, even though that would likely mean before the Windows 8 version. I'm hearing that new date for Office for iPad is some time in the first half of calendar 2014. (My sources last summer were hearing Office for iPad wouldn't debut until Fall 2014.)

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Foley notes that it is still unclear in exactly what form Office for iPad will arrive, but it will presumably involve Microsoft's Office 365 subscription service and potentially integrate with the company's OneDrive cloud storage. The company currently offers an iPhone app that offers viewing and limited editing capabilities, with the available free of charge but requiring an Office 365 subscription.

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Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
149 months ago
Is it coming sooner than "I don't think about it at all"? That's pretty fast! :p
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z400Racer37 Avatar
149 months ago
iWork for iPad. Been here. Use it. Can convert it to word thru iCloud if you really need to.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madsci954 Avatar
149 months ago
Office for iPad
The Duke Nukem Forever of productivity tools
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seble Avatar
149 months ago
Im sure it will arrive.With Microsofts typical lack of quality.Crashing, bugs, locking up.Why anyone buys anything from them I find mind boggling.

Ah so just like the current iterations of Apple's most recent products!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pakaku Avatar
149 months ago
"Coming sooner than most people think"

"Has been rumored for a number of years"


Well okay then
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
unplugme71 Avatar
149 months ago
Office is a huge card in Microsofts hand. Releasing Office for iPad is going to hurt them. One less reason to buy a surface.

Having your competition use other software will hurt them as well.

iPad sales > Surface sales.

If only 1% of iPad users bought Office it would probably take 98% of Surface users to equal it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)