Microsoft's Office for iPad now free

[Invicta]

When I saw Microsoft had just released Office for iPad for free rather than requiring an Office 365 subscription I thought I was dreaming. I have just tried out Excel, Word and PowerPoint and indeed I can edit documents for free. Just installed the apps in iTunes and signed in with my Hotmail account and it all worked, edited files OK for free.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

Free versions for Android due soon as well.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Microsoft's Office for iPad now free

When I saw Microsoft had just released Office for iPad for free rather than requiring an Office 365 subscription I thought I was dreaming. I have just tried out Excel, Word and PowerPoint and indeed I can edit documents for free. Just installed the apps in iTunes and signed in with my Hotmail account and it all worked, edited files OK for free.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/

Free versions for Android due soon as well.

That sounds like good news. I guess most users will have office on a desktop anyway, so it makes good sense all round.

Does the MS Office app include Outlook, as that is a must for me?

I have put off buying an iPad precisely for this reason. (I am still using Office 2007 and 2010 on my desktops/laptop, and have no plans to change.)

Also, does the iPad have enough power to run PhotoShop or similar raw image editing apps?

[Invicta]

Re: Microsoft's Office for iPad now free

That sounds like good news. I guess most users will have office on a desktop anyway, so it makes good sense all round.

Does the MS Office app include Outlook, as that is a must for me?

I have put off buying an iPad precisely for this reason. (I am still using Office 2007 and 2010 on my desktops/laptop, and have no plans to change.)

Also, does the iPad have enough power to run PhotoShop or similar raw image editing apps?

All the Microsoft Office mobile Apps are listed on the web page I linked to below.

Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote and OneDrive Apps are all free. A few advanced (mostly business related) features would still require an Office 365 subscription.

Alas, Outlook is via OWA (Outlook Web Access) which still needs an Office 365 subscription and access to an email account on an Exchange server.

I just use the native Apple email app to download my emails from my ISP and iTunes to sync my Outlook calendar from my PC.

Adobe provide Lightroom mobile for managing photos - best used for rating and basic edits only which are then synced back to your master Lightroom catalogue on your main computer whichever variety of OS it is running.

An iPad / Slate / Nexus device etc does not have the CPU power to run full Photoshop, but their portability is amazing. I take my iPad mini with me a lot and found it idea on a recent holiday to:

1) Keep in touch with news via BBC News App

2) Keep updated with emails via Apple Mail App

3) Stream music via Amazon Music in the evening when in my room

4a) Read my favourite magazines and books via iBooks when sat in the bar by the log fire

4b) Also by the log fire checked out my fav' web sites (like this one) using Safari

5) Work out where I was via the Maps App

6) Checked the weather forecast with hyper-local accuracy using Dark Sky App.

7) Used a range of photography apps when out taking photos

If I had had Excel on my iPad whilst on holiday I could have kept tabs on my expenses bill as well

When I first bought my iPad I thought I would not use it much, but now I find it is one of those things like car keys that I reach for each time I leave the house.

[Floribunda]

Re: Microsoft's Office for iPad now free

Love my iPad Mini for all the above reasons. Thanks for the Amazon Music idea, will check it out.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Microsoft's Office for iPad now free

Many thanks for your reply Invicta.

I have a Portege laptop which goes with me everywhere, but there are many situations where a laptop is just too big to use (most aircraft seats for example), and I have often fancied the idea of a tablet with 3G for travelling.

Just one more question: I use MS exchange for my emails. Does the native Apple app provide support for Calendar, Appointments and Notes as well as email?

[Invicta]

Re: Microsoft's Office for iPad now free

Hi

The iPad has separate Apps for email, calendar, notes, and contacts. You can sync all, or some of these of these, from Outlook via iTunes on the PC.

My Outlook is standalone, so I haven't used sync with an Exchange account but it should work as the iPad "Add Account" setting has a Exchange section.