Microsoft Releases Finished Versions Of Office For Android
by Brandon Chester on January 29, 2015 10:27 AM EST
In early 2014, Microsoft released their Word, Excel, and PowerPoint applications for the iPad. Launching their Office suite on platforms other than Windows was something that they had seemed reluctant to do for many years, and so the release of Office on iOS was a pivotal moment for the company. Even more surprising was the fact that iOS received a touch optimized version of Office before Windows did. Unfortunately, users of Android tablets seemed to be left out in the cold, and there was no indication of if or when the applications would make their way over to Google's mobile operating system. But in November 2014, Microsoft released preview versions of their Office applications for Android so they could perform testing and accumulate feedback from users.
Today the Office for Android applications are graduating from their preview status to become complete supported applications that Microsoft feels are ready for widespread use. According to the company, the three applications received a combined 250,000 downloads during the preview period, and were installed on over 3000 different Android device variants. Microsoft's system requirements for the final versions of Office on Android are a device with 1GB of RAM or more, an ARM based SoC, and Android 4.4.x KitKat. Devices between 7" and 10.1" will be able to use the apps for free, while devices larger than 10.1" will require an Office 365 subscription to have access to creation and editing features. Microsoft indicates that the applications are functioning on Android 5.0 Lollipop, but that it is not currently supported. Users of Intel x86 tablets will have to wait for a support update that will be arriving later in the year.
Source: Microsoft Office Blog
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damianrobertjones - Friday, January 30, 2015 - link
Imagine a world where you use the best tool for the job. Piddling around, iPad. Messing around thinking that you're a techie, Android. Getting work done, Surface Pro 3.melgross - Wednesday, February 4, 2015 - link
Softmakers gets terrible reviews. I wouldn't consider it if I were you.Imaginer - Thursday, January 29, 2015 - link
Good and all.I won't ditch my Surface Pro 2 (or future tablet PCs) for this on Android.
And one thing many overlook, is with desktop versions of OneNote, any Office content is copy-pastable into the pages. I can edit an Excel spreadsheet I copied from Excel into a page in OneNote. I can play a video in OneNote. I can snap a camera shot from say my phone, and instantly place it as content in a OneNote page - and annotate it with my handwriting.
I rather not funnel myself into "mobile" Office, save for a phone (which for very light work is fine to a point).
Granseth - Thursday, January 29, 2015 - link
I wonder if they have cromecast support, or will have in near future. Would like very much to have wireless powerpoint presentation.dullard - Thursday, January 29, 2015 - link
Just Chromecast your entire display. Then you don't need Chromecast support on individual programs. As far as I know, that wasn't possible until Lollipop, but it works quite well now on my Nexus 7.Granseth - Thursday, January 29, 2015 - link
thx, good plan :) Have to try it outOldeb0y - Thursday, January 29, 2015 - link
So it's free to use for 7-10" tablets on android, but for IOS you have to pay for a subscription even with the ipad mini? Why??Flunk - Thursday, January 29, 2015 - link
Apple Tax.But seriously, that sucks.
melgross - Wednesday, February 4, 2015 - link
He's either truly ignorant, or deliberately spreading fud.eanazag - Thursday, January 29, 2015 - link
It is free with a Microsoft account on Windows phone, iOS devices, and Andriod tablets. It is missing just a couple of features nearly all could live without for the free version. It took MS a little longer to finally roll out the full Android version.