Microsoft prepping Office for iPad?
So says Rupert Murdoch's fondleslab rag
Microsoft is said to be preparing a version of its Office productivity suite for Apple's überpopular fondleslab, the "magical and revolutionary" iPad.
So say unnamed sources speaking – fittingly enough – to The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's less than wildly successful iPad newspaper, launched with great fanfare this February.
The Daily provided scant details – well, none, actually – about the purported iOS Office, saying only that Microsoft is "actively working" on an iPad version.
The article also noted that a version of Office for Mac OS X Lion is expected near the end of 2012. Although Microsoft's system requirements for Office for Mac 2011 say that it is compatible with Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later, such Lion-only features as full-screen mode are not supported.
With Apple's tablet taking a bite out of PC sales, it's not surprising to hear even an unsubstantiated rumor that Microsoft is planning a version of its cash-cow productivity suite for the iPad. Should such a suite appear, however, it will most certainly need to shift the decimal point on its pricing one place to the left. Microsoft Office for Mac Home & Student runs $119.99 and Home & Business, $199.99.
Apple's iPad productivity apps – Pages, Keynote, and Numbers – run $9.99 each. ®
COMMENTS
Who needs MS office ?
Soooooo many ways to do docs, spreadsheets etc that are far cheaper. We are no longer in the days of Visicalc.
It's only because most secretaries are either too thick or too busy preening themselves to change habits.
If true, probably web based
As a pad cpu is going to disappoint with all the stuff Office 2010 does.
They probably need to do this as more powerful arm chips are on their way and they need to lock in mobile devices as MSOffice users before they settle on something else (Pages, Libreoffice or something new). Otherwise you might end up with large android/ipad tablets sprouting keyboards and moving into the ultrabook space bringing linux, OSX/iOS with them with no cash for MS.
Could IT become interesting again?
How old?
How is Office for MAC 2011 'years old'. Looks pretty much as horrid as Office 2010 for Windows to me!
Of course they will - it will be create massive publicity for both organisations and transform the iPad into a more solid business tool.
