Microsoft Nukes Recent Office for iPad Rumor

By Kevin Parrish
published

Even if Microsoft were developing a Metro-themed Office app for Apple's iPad, it won't be appearing in the next few weeks. That's just crazy talk.

Tuesday morning The Daily quoted unnamed sources which said Microsoft's Metro-themed Office app for the iPad would soon be submitted to Apple for approval. The news arrived after the iPad version was supposedly discovered back in November 2011, as The Daily claimed it spent some hands-on time with the prototype software running on Apple's popular tablet.

"The app’s user interface is similar to the current OneNote app, but it has hints of Metro, the new design language that can be seen in Windows Phone and in the as-yet-released Windows 8 desktop operating system," The Daily reported, seemingly describing Office 15 for WOA. "Word, Excel and PowerPoint files can be created and edited locally and online. But it’s unclear if Microsoft will support other Office apps at launch or at all."

Sources close to the matter said the design team has wrapped up the project, but so far an actual release date is unknown. The Daily assumed that "it could be released in the coming weeks" given that it's ready to be submitted to Apple's approval team, a statement heard within the halls of Microsoft, provoking a full-frontal denial.

"The Daily story is based on inaccurate rumors and speculation. We have no further comment," a Microsoft spokesperson said, neither confirming nor denying the app's actual existence. The rep also added that the screenshot accompanying the article, as seen above, is not a real picture of a Microsoft software product.

Selling Office 15 on Apple's iPad isn't all that far-fetched, as Microsoft would be reaching out to consumers who'd prefer the portable iOS environment while still having access to hugely popular Office apps like PowerPoint and Word. If anything, Office for Macintosh, which is highly profitable on that particular platform, proves this theory. Even more, the business sector, which relies heavily on Office apps, wouldn't be severely affected when adopting iPads, allowing workers to easily work between desktop and mobile.

If Microsoft is releasing an Office app for iPad, it's likely similar to the version slated for WOA, as both will be ARM-based. That said, Office for iPad probably won't appear until WOA actually launches later this year. Seriously, Microsoft providing a Metro-themed Office app on Apple's iPad first? That's just crazy talk, but we could be wrong.

Kevin Parrish
13 Comments Comment from the forums
  • memadmax
    It's sad when you build a program and have to send it to the "master" for approval.....

    I will never build apps for apple and will never buy one again.....

    That goes double for all their slave labor and patent troll shenanigans.....
    Reply
  • agnickolov
    If Microsoft is releasing an Office app for iPad, it's likely similar to the version slated for WOA, as both will be ARM-based.
    This shows complete lack of understanding of software development. The CPU instruction set has little to no impact on development since it's completely isolated from the source code via the compiler (about the only matter left to care about would be byte ordering). And this has been the case for the last 50 years. The rest of the platform differences are abstracted via drivers and those are immaterial for an application. It's the OS environment that dictates how close two platforms are (including the driver model to some extent).
    Both Windows and iOS are highly unique software environment, so it's not easy to share code between them. It's true that cross-platform frameworks exist, but these strip many of the cool features of the environment so you shouldn't expect a company like Microsoft to resort to using them (we certainly don't do that in our company). That means at the very least the UI is written independently for each OS. And don't even get me started on that blasted language Objective-C that Apple mandates developers use...
    Reply
  • I reckon the iOS version doesn't exist. Windows 8 is Microsoft's answer to the tablet. They want to get buy in from consumers and corporates alike. By offering Office on the iOS platform, they are only hindering themselves when they dorelease Windows 8 as most consumers wont want to jump as they can do all the same work related stuff on the iPad using the same program. Releasing Office on iOS could also lead to a situation where businesses now start rolling out iPads to their executives and start providing real support for them. This is due to the fact that the main set of tools the company uses are now available on a tablet and with no alternative platform to for the tablet the iPad would become the tablet of choice. When W8 is released these corporates will not suddenly switch over.

    The tablet war is one of Apps. It would be silly for Microsoft to release Office for iOS before W8 is out. But again I could just be super tired and not thinking straight
    Reply
  • back_by_demand
    Sharing MS Office with the iPad certainly doesn't come under any kind of FRAND agreement, MS should play hardball and anyone who wants to use Office with a tablet will have to buy a Windows tablet.
    ...
    That's most of the business/corporate world, bye bye iToy
    Reply
  • DjEaZy
    Microsoft Nukes Recent Office for iPad Rumor And Shoots It Self In The Foot.
    Reply
  • Camikazi
    DjEaZyMicrosoft Nukes Recent Office for iPad Rumor And Shoots It Self In The Foot.Unless they want to attract the business crowd, since businesses already use Office and are familiar with it. If MS makes mobile Office a Windows 8 Tablet only app I see businesses moving away from iPads and to Windows 8. Having a well known and already accustomed to UI for the workers is a big plus for businesses, specially if you consider the cross-syncing between WP7, Windows 8 tablet and Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC. Why give Apple Office and make businesses less likely to look at Windows 8 when they can keep it as an ace for themselves to draw them in, seems like a smart move to me.
    Reply
  • classzero
    memadmaxIt's sad when you build a program and have to send it to the "master" for approval.....I will never build apps for apple and will never buy one again.....That goes double for all their slave labor and patent troll shenanigans.....
    Funny you would say that since Microsoft has stated their app store will be similar. O.o
    Reply
  • Do the Apple bashing trolls ever get tired of looking like filthy, ignorant geeks? I used to work with your type every day. No company could ever offer me a high enough salary to do it again. Absolutely the worst creatures walking the Earth today.

    Geeks, no one gives a gnat's fart about you or your opinions on what constitutes a useful device. I know Hollywood has gone through a phase of trying to make geeks seem sexy and generally smart, but the spotlight has revealed the reality: you know some computing stuff, and that's effing *it*. No, gaming and anime and Doctor Who minutiae do not count as being smart.

    You do not know everything. You not liking a device does not make it a toy and people buying something you don't like does not make them stupid. Some day that fact will finally seep through your thick, dense skulls and you will realize what horrible individuals you have been and how decrepit your personalities have become- I estimate somewhere in your late 40s from what I saw.

    Get over your tiny, insignificant, repulsive selves.
    Reply
  • robochump
    memadmaxIt's sad when you build a program and have to send it to the "master" for approval.....I will never build apps for apple and will never buy one again.....That goes double for all their slave labor and patent troll shenanigans.....
    Because Apple wants garbage Apps on their platform...lol. Not that your bad but high standards must exist for a great product. Apple bashers never cease to amaze bashing with any and every Apple related product...lol.
    Reply
  • del35
    Sharing MS Office with the iPad certainly doesn't come under any kind of FRAND agreement, MS should play hardball and anyone who wants to use Office with a tablet will have to buy a Windows tablet.

    As much as I hate to agree. I think you are right. Give the church of iCrap and its Zombies the same medicine that the Apple jail dishes out.
    Reply