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Microsoft Office for iOS Updated With iCloud Drive Support
Microsoft today released an update for its suite of Office apps on Apple's iPhone and iPad App Store for users running iOS 8. The 1.6 updates bring, along with the usual bug fixes and performance enhancements, full support for saving and syncing documents via Apple's iCloud Drive service (via The Verge).
Microsoft says users of its most popular software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can now open, edit, and save their work to iCloud as a storage option in the "Places" section of each iOS app.
The additional storage method doesn't require users to have an Office 365 subscription and comes as an alternative to Microsoft's own cloud storage option, OneDrive. As pointed out by The Verge, light restrictions on a few file types may hinder iCloud's usage on Microsoft's iOS apps, however.
Microsoft Word [Direct Link], Microsoft Excel [Direct Link], and Microsoft PowerPoint [Direct Link] can all be downloaded from the App Store for free.
Microsoft says users of its most popular software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can now open, edit, and save their work to iCloud as a storage option in the "Places" section of each iOS app.
The additional storage method doesn't require users to have an Office 365 subscription and comes as an alternative to Microsoft's own cloud storage option, OneDrive. As pointed out by The Verge, light restrictions on a few file types may hinder iCloud's usage on Microsoft's iOS apps, however.
There’s also restrictions on filetypes, so while you can see a thumbnail preview of text in a document created with TextEdit on a Mac (stored on iCloud), you can’t access the document or edit it. Overall, it’s a fairly basic feature addition, but one that will please (and possibly frustrate) those who use iCloud on a regular basis.Microsoft most recently added a similar feature to flesh out its iOS offerings with a partnership with Dropbox that let users open, edit, and save their documents using the popular document-saving cloud app. The Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps launched on the iPhone in early November, bringing free document creation and basic editing to the service.
Microsoft Word [Direct Link], Microsoft Excel [Direct Link], and Microsoft PowerPoint [Direct Link] can all be downloaded from the App Store for free.
Tags: Microsoft Office, iCloud Guide
[ 75 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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59 months ago
iWork is much better and free.
MS Office is total abomination of software no one needs it. Won't install even if for free.
You must be stoned, Jack.
59 months ago
Good bye iWork...
...hello Office. Seriously, it's painfully obvious that MS has their sights once again on total domination in this space. Apple has done next to nothing for the iWork apps which IMO, were pretty nice on the iOS devices until MS released the current wave of Office for iOS apps. And given their recent actions in lifting restrictions on storage and use, I see iWork fading into oblivion unless Apple pulls a MAJOR rabbit out of their hat.
...hello Office. Seriously, it's painfully obvious that MS has their sights once again on total domination in this space. Apple has done next to nothing for the iWork apps which IMO, were pretty nice on the iOS devices until MS released the current wave of Office for iOS apps. And given their recent actions in lifting restrictions on storage and use, I see iWork fading into oblivion unless Apple pulls a MAJOR rabbit out of their hat.
59 months ago
Now release Office 2015 for MAC with iCloud drive support and Apple bump up free iCloud storage from 5 to 20GB :D
59 months ago
M$ ain't playing around anymore, they going after Google big time. Good to see them make a comeback.
59 months ago
...hello Office. Seriously, it's painfully obvious that MS has their sights once again on total domination in this space. Apple has done next to nothing for the iWork apps which IMO, were pretty nice on the iOS devices until MS released the current wave of Office for iOS apps. And given their recent actions in lifting restrictions on storage and use, I see iWork fading into oblivion unless Apple pulls a MAJOR rabbit out of their hat.
It's probably Apple's plan to fade into oblivion. I feel that a lot of the time when Apple makes free software, it's not because they want to make software, but because they want the other people making software to make better software.
Microsoft won't make a good web browser? Apple makes Safari. Google won't make a better maps app for iOS? Apple makes a maps app. Microsoft won't bring Office to OS X or iOS? Apple makes iWork.
Everytime it yielded the desired results. IE improved dramatically, plus Google made Chrome. Google dramatically improved their iOS maps app. Microsoft brought Office to OS X and iOS.
So I don't think Apple particularly cares about iWork or Apple Maps at this point. Safari... It's interesting that apple keeps updating it. I'm not sure why Apple hasn't just sat back and let Chrome take the lead.
59 months ago
How do you save save a new document you've created in Word for iPad to iCloud? I can't figure it out. Seems that it's not possible.
59 months ago
Has anyone managed to create a new word document and save it to iCloud?
Maybe I am a bit tired today, but I only managed to open existing documents, not to save new ones.
When I click on an iCloud folder in the save box, it says 'Unable to open URL'.
Maybe I am a bit tired today, but I only managed to open existing documents, not to save new ones.
When I click on an iCloud folder in the save box, it says 'Unable to open URL'.
59 months ago
I have to say that MS is killing it lately...
Free Office365 on Web, iOS, and Android...with fully baked iPad apps and
DropBox access
Both OneDrive and OneDrive for Business access
and now iCloud Drive!
When I load a GoogleDocs app, I only see what's in google drive.
And their OneDrive app(s) support RAW image files and generate thumbnails for them in a beautiful interface. It made the $70/year price for O365 Personal Edition w/1TB of storage worth every penny for me. Flickr, 500px, and so many other supposed sites for 'photography' don't even support RAW files?!
Free Office365 on Web, iOS, and Android...with fully baked iPad apps and
DropBox access
Both OneDrive and OneDrive for Business access
and now iCloud Drive!
When I load a GoogleDocs app, I only see what's in google drive.
And their OneDrive app(s) support RAW image files and generate thumbnails for them in a beautiful interface. It made the $70/year price for O365 Personal Edition w/1TB of storage worth every penny for me. Flickr, 500px, and so many other supposed sites for 'photography' don't even support RAW files?!
59 months ago
Good move for Microsoft. I trust the privacy and security of iCloud more than Dropbox although Dropbox still seems to sync up faster than iCloud.
I have gone through the comments on this thread and see a common theme: everyone is arguing based on their personal needs. Both iWork and MS Office have their advantages and disadvantages. Below is my pet list based on my own needs and wants.
Advantages of iWork:
- Free on all platforms.
- Sufficient for most business purposes and virtually all personal ones.
- The UI is elegantly designed, simple to use and wonderfully uncluttered.
- Uses a side bar which saves headspace on smaller/portable screens like my Mackbook 13" Retina.
Disadvantages of iWork:
- Fewer features than MS Office.
- Slower to boot up on non-OS machines and may be completely unusable in many Fortune 500 company IT environments (mine included).
- Requires added steps to export to the industry standard formats of MS Office.
- No "paste as unformatted text" option for Numbers. This means reformatting ... time and time again ... anything you copy/paste from a differently formatted doc, like a webpage.
- No "Ctrl + D" option to pull data from the cell above (pet peeve).
- iOS Pages does not have "reflow" so I'm forced to constantly scroll right and left to read an entire sentence.
- iWork files are bigger than MS Offices by as much as 300%. Becomes a noticeable problem when syncing with little signal like at my office.
Advantages of MS Office:
- It is the industry standard for most businesses and the U.S. government.
- It has more potentially useful features than you'll probably ever know existed, let alone actually use.
- It may not be free, but you probably already have a functional copy of the program for Mac anyway.
- Word for iOS has "reflow" so that I'm not forced to constantly scroll right and left to read an entire sentence.
- Document sizes are one third the size of iWork files so they sync faster. This is a terribly useful feature in the black hole of an office I work inside (I'm convinced that the walls are lined with lead or whatever it is that blocks my signal).
- Excel lets me do amazing things that I either can't or just don't know how to do in Numbers.
Disadvantages of MS Office:
- It costs money.
- In a handful of years the 2011 versions we have will no longer be supported and we may have to decide if we want to shell out $100 a year for the new version. The alternative will be to get used to life with iWork and all the headache of remembering to export to a MS Office version, not to mention worrying if the document will retain its formatting.
- It suffers from the Ribbon. Most computer screens are wider than they are taller. The menu bar + ribbon takes up 1/5 of my screen so I turned it off ... permanently. Someone at MS didn't think this one through.
- It needs a less cluttered interface: there are so many features to manage that it is easy to get lost. Maybe it would help to have a basic, mid-level and advanced selection of options, instead of stuffing a ribbon so full.
- It is a Microsoft product. I'm an Apple fanboy and I don't like MS on principle (much like rooting for your favorite team, this is completely irrational, but then again, I'm only human).
At the end of the day, to each their own. Personally, I doubt that iWork will ever go away: someone much more astute than me (kds1 maybe?) once said that iWork is insurance against Microsoft pulling support for MS Office from Apple platforms, leaving Mac & iOS users high and dry.
I have gone through the comments on this thread and see a common theme: everyone is arguing based on their personal needs. Both iWork and MS Office have their advantages and disadvantages. Below is my pet list based on my own needs and wants.
Advantages of iWork:
- Free on all platforms.
- Sufficient for most business purposes and virtually all personal ones.
- The UI is elegantly designed, simple to use and wonderfully uncluttered.
- Uses a side bar which saves headspace on smaller/portable screens like my Mackbook 13" Retina.
Disadvantages of iWork:
- Fewer features than MS Office.
- Slower to boot up on non-OS machines and may be completely unusable in many Fortune 500 company IT environments (mine included).
- Requires added steps to export to the industry standard formats of MS Office.
- No "paste as unformatted text" option for Numbers. This means reformatting ... time and time again ... anything you copy/paste from a differently formatted doc, like a webpage.
- No "Ctrl + D" option to pull data from the cell above (pet peeve).
- iOS Pages does not have "reflow" so I'm forced to constantly scroll right and left to read an entire sentence.
- iWork files are bigger than MS Offices by as much as 300%. Becomes a noticeable problem when syncing with little signal like at my office.
Advantages of MS Office:
- It is the industry standard for most businesses and the U.S. government.
- It has more potentially useful features than you'll probably ever know existed, let alone actually use.
- It may not be free, but you probably already have a functional copy of the program for Mac anyway.
- Word for iOS has "reflow" so that I'm not forced to constantly scroll right and left to read an entire sentence.
- Document sizes are one third the size of iWork files so they sync faster. This is a terribly useful feature in the black hole of an office I work inside (I'm convinced that the walls are lined with lead or whatever it is that blocks my signal).
- Excel lets me do amazing things that I either can't or just don't know how to do in Numbers.
Disadvantages of MS Office:
- It costs money.
- In a handful of years the 2011 versions we have will no longer be supported and we may have to decide if we want to shell out $100 a year for the new version. The alternative will be to get used to life with iWork and all the headache of remembering to export to a MS Office version, not to mention worrying if the document will retain its formatting.
- It suffers from the Ribbon. Most computer screens are wider than they are taller. The menu bar + ribbon takes up 1/5 of my screen so I turned it off ... permanently. Someone at MS didn't think this one through.
- It needs a less cluttered interface: there are so many features to manage that it is easy to get lost. Maybe it would help to have a basic, mid-level and advanced selection of options, instead of stuffing a ribbon so full.
- It is a Microsoft product. I'm an Apple fanboy and I don't like MS on principle (much like rooting for your favorite team, this is completely irrational, but then again, I'm only human).
At the end of the day, to each their own. Personally, I doubt that iWork will ever go away: someone much more astute than me (kds1 maybe?) once said that iWork is insurance against Microsoft pulling support for MS Office from Apple platforms, leaving Mac & iOS users high and dry.
59 months ago
Mildly Useful
Office apps for iOS do not appear to support saving NEW files created in app to iCloud. You can only edit and (automatically) save existing files. If I'm wrong, and I hope I am, I'd like proof. Otherwise, this is an only mildly useful addition.
Office apps for iOS do not appear to support saving NEW files created in app to iCloud. You can only edit and (automatically) save existing files. If I'm wrong, and I hope I am, I'd like proof. Otherwise, this is an only mildly useful addition.
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