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Microsoft CEO talks about Office, won't comment on Office for iPad
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talked with Businessweek about the recent Office 2013 launch. Most of the interview focused on the desktop version of the productivity suite, but Ballmer dodged a question right at the end about the development of the iPad version of Office. When asked how the iPad version was coming along, Ballmer declined to comment and said the following: I have nothing to say on that topic. We're very glad with the product, very happy with the product that we're putting in market. It makes sense on the devices like the Mac and the PC. We have a product that we think makes a lot of sense. We do have a way for people always to get to Office through the browser, which is very important. And we'll see what we see in the future. This response doesn't kill off the idea of Office for the iPad, but it does suggest the product is not a high priority for the Microsoft CEO. Office for iPad has been rumored since T3 claimed Microsoft may be working on an iPad version of Office and The Daily broke the story open with screenshots of the app in 2012. A Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge late last year that "Office will work across Windows Phone, iOS and Android."
The Daily Roundup for 01.29.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Microsoft Office 2013, Office 365 Home Premium available now; 365 for business coming later (updated)
Until now, we've known almost all there is to know about Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 365: we got hands-on with the new features last summer, and the company has even confirmed pricing. The only thing we weren't sure of was the exact on-sale date, but even that got leaked when a Canadian retailer put up a pre-order page indicating the two products would ship January 29th. Well, what do you know? Today is January 29th and sure enough, Office 2013 is on sale, along with the subscription service Office 365. To be clear, while every version of the boxed software is now out, 365 is only being offered to consumers; the business version will arrive later, on February 27th. For now, Office 365 Home Premium is priced at $99.99 for an annual subscription, with permission to install the suite on up to five PCs and Macs. There's also a "University" version for college students and faculty, which costs $79.99 for a four-year plan. Either way, the sub includes 20GB of SkyDrive storage on top of whatever plan you already have which is to say if you previously only had 7GB of space, your limit will now get bumped to 20 gigs. (In other words, people grandfathered into 25GB don't get an additional 20 gigabytes.). Of course, you can always deactivate a particular machine through Office.com if you need to free up a license. Naturally, too, as a part of the subscription you'll always have the most recent version. That means Office 2013 for Windows users; Office for Mac 2011 if you're on OS X. That last piece is a bit of a bummer, for sure, but for what it's worth Microsoft has said a new Mac product is in the works, and that subscribers will get it as part of a future software update. If you'd rather buy the software outright, you can do that today too. At the low end, there's Office 2013 Home and Student 2013 ($139), which comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Home and Business adds Outlook for $219, while the top-of-the-line Professional package includes all of the above along with Access and Publisher for $399. Remember, though: these come with only one user license, and you don't get any complimentary cloud storage or upgrades to future versions. It's your money, obviously, but it seems clear to us that Microsoft has gone out of its way to make its Office 365 service the more attractive option. So, you might want to think long and hard about how much owning your software really means to you before going the old-fashioned route. Update: An Office 365 subscription includes 20GB of SkyDrive storage in addition to whatever plan you already have. So, if you were grandfathered into 25 gigs of storage, you'll end up with 45GB in total.
Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium review
It feels like we've been talking about Office 2013 for a while now -- we first previewed the software back in July, and it's been available as a free beta download ever since. Today, though, it's launching in a more formal way: the final version of Office 2013 is now on sale, as is Office 365 Home Premium, which lets you purchase a subscription to Office 2013 and then install it on up to five computers. Though you can still buy the software outright, Microsoft has gone out of its way to make subscribing seem like the more attractive option: buying a one-year subscription costs $100 a year and nets you five installs, while the purchase cost is $139 for a single user. To sweeten the deal, Microsoft is giving Office 365 subscribers 60 Skype minutes per month and 20GB of extra SkyDrive storage. Naturally, too, subscribing to the service means you always get the latest software -- a particularly important point for Apple fans still waiting on a new version of Office for Mac. Either way, though, Office 2013 now has an app store, and you can poke around even if you're not a subscriber. As it is, we've already given you an in-depth walk-through of all the major new features in Office, but we haven't yet gotten to experience it as a subscription, with all our settings following us from one PC to another. But we're still wondering: is it worth shelling out a hundred bones a year for a subscription?
Microsoft site references iOS versions of Office, Excel, PowerPoint
Microsoft was quick to deny a report from October that its Office suite is headed to iOS devices, but some information posted to the company's own website indicates otherwise. French Apple news blog Mac4Ever has found references to Office for iPhone, Excel for iPad and PowerPoint for iPad on official Microsoft product support pages. On the French support pages for certain Office issues, the knowledge base articles are listed as being applicable to the aforementioned iOS apps. In other countries, however, they're correctly attributed to the proper desktop applications. So, while it appears that the posting of the references is a mistake, the very presence of these app names in Microsoft's product database lends more weight to reports that they are, in fact, on the way -- possibly as soon as next spring. [Via MacRumors]
Office for iPad referenced on French and Romanian Microsoft support sites
Officially there is no Office for iPad... or iOS or Android. But, it seems a foregone conclusion that the premier productivity suite will be crossing those ecosystem boundaries. In addition to countless rumors and alleged screenshots, now references to the app are cropping up on Microsoft's own sites. Documents over at the French and Romanian Office support pages have been tagged (incorrectly) as applying to "Office Mobile for iPhone," "Excel for iPad," "Lync for iPhone," and "PowerPoint for iPad." The docs in question don't actually pertain to these unreleased products, but the repeated mislabeling across documents and languages (presumably by Microsoft employees) would seem to indicate they actually exist. Of course, it could all be an elaborate hoax, but we'd find that pretty hard to swallow.
Microsoft Office 2013 now available to businesses, wide release still set for Q1 2013
Right on time, businesses with the inside track to Microsoft's account team and partner program can now snag the latest version of Redmond's content production software suite, Office 2013. What's that? You've got the hook up, but you were also hoping for Exchange Server 2013, Lync Server 2013, SharePoint Server 2013, Project 2013, and Visio 2013? You'll be happy to hear that those are also available today -- the already announced "first quarter 2013" release window for Office 2013 stands, when it'll become widely available both digitally and at direct retailers. The big update to Office this time around comes in the form of Windows 8-style visuals and cloud-based saves using Microsoft's SkyDrive service. We've got a full hands-on right here if you'd like to learn more ahead of next year's big launch.
Daily Update for November 7, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
The Verge shows Microsoft Office on iPhone
In November of last year, The Daily reported that Microsoft was working on a version of its Office suite of apps for the iPad. One year later and The Verge now claims to have information that confirms the Redmond company will release Office versions for Android and iOS in early 2013. According to The Verge report, Microsoft will release the apps for free. They will require a Microsoft account and will provide basic viewing functionality. Customers can unlock editing features by purchasing a subscription to Office 365. The apps will reportedly provide only basic editing features and won't replace the desktop versions of the apps. A PR spokesperson for Microsoft told The Verge that "Office will work across Windows Phone, iOS and Android," but would not provide additional details on the apps or their launch dates. A previous rumor hinted at a March 2013 release, but Microsoft denied that report.
Microsoft launches four-year, $80 Office 365 University subscription for students
Microsoft's given Xbox love to PC-buying students recently, and it's just announced that it'll carry on that tradition with Office 365 University, by offering a special four-year, $80 subscription to higher-education students. For that sum, you'll get four years of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access if you're seeking a sheepskin scroll, which Redmond says works out to $1.67 per month. Also included are 60 Skype world minutes per month and 27GB of Premium SkyDrive storage, along with free upgrades and the ability to install on two separate computers, to boot. That should take some of the sting out of those scholarly expenses if you need a copy, so check the source to see how to grab it.
Microsoft announces Q1 earnings with $5.31 billion in profit, braces for Windows 8 surge
It's Microsoft's turn at quiet-before-the-storm quarterly results, and that's evident in the fiscal first quarter earnings it just dropped on our laps. The Redmond team is reporting $16.01 billion in revenue, but a more modest than usual $5.31 billion in profit over the summer -- while it's healthier than the Q4 loss stemming from the aQuantive write-off, it's not as impressive as the $7.2 billion profit from a year ago. While a tough PC market is partly to blame, it's equally hard to say that Microsoft couldn't have done better. There's a real chance that some of its customers have been holding back on purchases in anticipation of the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 launches; it's already setting aside $1.36 billion in revenue for Windows and Office upgrades. The company is unquestionably preparing itself for a giant spike in demand once at least Windows 8 rolls around later this month, so we'd say that the real litmus test will be the results we get after the holidays.
CloudOn announces new features, worldwide availability on iOS and Android
Having already conquered over 70 countries in its relatively short history, CloudOn decided it was now time to make its handy cloud-based tools available to all Android and iOS users around the globe. Aside from announcing its worldwide invasion, CloudOn's also outed version 2.5 of its application on Google and Apple's mobile platforms, bringing with it a slew of new traits into the mix -- among these are a FileSpace for "real-time context around any document," the ability to add single-tap annotations to Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, an all-new ribbon that's enhanced for tablet use and, naturally, universal language support. It's worth noting that while all of these novel features will be available on Android / iOS at some point, the former two are currently only compatible with Cupertino's devices -- however, CloudOn has told us the missing goods will be making their way to the other side very soon. We're not exactly sure when that's going to be, but if you're still interested in grabbing the app, you'll find the necessary download links below.%Gallery-168524%
Microsoft Office 2013 releases to manufacturing, reaches most of us early next year
Break out the party streamers and balloons -- if only in an orderly fashion, because this is the day Office 2013 has been released to manufacturing. The completion swings Microsoft's attention towards a rollout staggered over the next few months. Wider availability will have to wait until the first quarter of 2013 -- such synchronicity with your branding, Microsoft -- but companies who've sprung for volume licensing will get access as early as mid-November to December 1st, depending on whether or not they're embracing a Software Assurance plan. In the meantime, Microsoft is offering an easy path for anxious workers by promising a free copy of Office 2013 to everyone who buys Office 2010 from October 19th onwards. The upgraded software might not be cheap for those who aren't already buying a Windows RT tablet, but it's likely to be an important piece of the puzzle for anyone hunting down a touchscreen Windows 8 PC.
Microsoft Office for iOS reportedly set to launch in March 2013 (Updated)
Updated: Microsoft has denied this. Good news for those of you who want Microsoft Office on your iOS device. The world's most popular office suite is reportedly set to be released for iOS and Android in March 2013, according to Czech Microsoft product manager Petr Bobek. Bobek broke the news to Czech site IHNED.cz today and confirmed to the site that the apps would be native, not web apps. Shortly after Bobek's announcement, The Verge got a look at a press release Microsoft issued at the press event in the Czech Republic earlier today. The translated release reads: In addition to Windows, Office will be also available on other operating systems, Windows Phone, Windows RT, Mac OS, Android, iOS and Symbian. This isn't the first leak that Office is coming to iOS. Back in February The Daily reported that Microsoft Office would be coming to iOS this November. If today's statements are anything to go by, the release date has now been pushed back by five months. There's no other news yet as to which Office apps will be released nor what their price will be.
Microsoft Office for Mac now has Retina support
Microsoft has updated the Office for Mac software to have Retina display support for Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint. The update is available via Microsoft AutoUpdate. The update comes as a welcome surprise, as a month ago, the prognosis of Retina display support for Microsoft Office looked to be something that was in the distant future.
Microsoft announces Office 2013 and 365 pricing, nudges users towards annual subscriptions
While we still don't know exactly when Microsoft will unleash Office 2013 and Office 365 upon the world, we do know how much they'll cost. While standalone versions, licensed for use on a single computer, will still be available, the new strategy makes it more affordable for many homes and business to opt for a subscription package instead. Office Home and Student 2013 (with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote) will cost $139, while Home and Business adds Outlook for $219, and the top of the line Professional package includes all of those along with Access and Publisher for $399. Compare those to the two Office 365 packages, which promise customizations that follow their users around, expanded cloud storage, access to all of the apps and automatically receive any future updates that come out for them. Office 365 Home Premium will cost $99 per year, with 20GB of SkyDrive storage and 60 minutes of Skype calling per month and access on five computers, along with the ability to change out the devices at any time, and use "full featured apps" temporarily on any PC. It's a single subscription for up to 5 users, and will have a 30 day free trial available. Alternatively, small businesses with 1-10 employees could opt for Office 365 Small Business Premium that also comes with all the apps, but lets each user install it on up to 5 different PCs or Macs, along with 25GB Outlook storage, an organization-wide 10GB cloud drive plus 500MB for each user, online meetings and even website hosting. That also has a free trial, but costs $149 per user, per year. If you can't wait, buying Office 2010 or Office 2011 for Mac as of October 19th entitles users to a free upgrade to Office 2013 or one year of Office 365 free. Clearly, Microsoft would prefer it if users took advantage of the new pay-per-year offerings, but what do you think? Check out all the details from Microsoft's blog and check list linked below (or our preview) as well as a few of their examples after the break, and let us know if you'll be upgrading or switching over to an alternative like Open Office.
Microsoft details Office for Windows RT: shipping on devices as a preview release, upgrade coming later
For all the explaining that Microsoft has done, there's still a fair bit that's not clear about what Windows RT will actually look like when it ships next month. The company has filled in one of those gaps today, though, detailing what it hopes will be one of the operating system's big selling points: Office for Windows RT. Perhaps the biggest news is Microsoft's confirmation of earlier reports that the productivity suite will actually ship as a preview release on Windows RT devices, with a free upgrade to the final version promised between early November and January depending on the language. What's more, Microsoft has also confirmed that Office for Windows RT will unsurprisingly be a bit stripped down compared to its standard Windows 8 counterpart -- there's no macros, for starters, and you'll have to make do without add-ins and some other features like the ability to record narrations in PowerPoint. It's also only going to be available as a pre-installed component of Windows RT -- no standalone release is planned. You can find a full breakdown of the differences at the link below.
Microsoft reportedly starting Office 2013 upgrade program mid-October
As Microsoft ramps up for its next big Office release, the company is apparently getting ready to offer up a program to help cushion the blow for those who pick up the current version of the suite. ZDNET is reporting that Redmond will begin its Office 2013 upgrade program on October 19th, keeping with its policy for past Office and Windows releases, ensuring that those who pick up the software between that date and the end of April get the upgrade. The word comes from some anonymous sources, so there's no guarantee here -- there's also no info on whether the upgrade will be fully free or will have a small fee attached. We're still not quite sure when Office will officially be hitting the market, but the site's sources put it at around February.
InstallFree Nexus offers cloud-based Office to iPad
It's not easy for iPad owners to edit and share native Office 2010 apps on their tablets. Since Microsoft hasn't released an iPad version of Office, Office users must choose between App Store alternatives and online services like Onlive Desktop. Customers looking for a new service should take a closer look at the web-based InstallFree Nexus. Nexus uses virtualization to serve up Office 2010 to customers and is compatible with the iPad's mobile Safari browser. Besides editing, the service also lets customers store and share files using third-party services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Office 365. Because it is a web app, Nexus is available across different desktop and mobile platforms. InstallFree Nexus will come out of beta and launch publicly in August. When it launches, Nexus will offer both a free, basic subscription and a paid premium plan. The basic service will provide LibreOffice for document management, Microsoft Office file viewing and third-party file storage options. The premium account will give customers all the features above, along with a subscription license to Microsoft Office 2012. It'll cost US$5 a month for academic users and $20 a month for all other users. If you sign up now for the service, you will receive a free 60-day subscription to the premium version. [Via CNET]
Microsoft Office RT may lack macros, add-ins, other features
Well, the good news, as you already know, is that Office RT will be preloaded on all Windows 8 RT tablets -- at least in preview form. The bad news, even if you spring for the full version, you may be dealing with a limited product. Word on the street is, that in order optimize performance and battery life, Microsoft pulled a number of features from the ARM-friendly version of its productivity suite. Among the missing features is support for macros, third-party add-ins and VBA scripts. A small number of other features are also reportedly on the chopping block, but without a final product to put our fingers on, it's not clear which ones are getting axed.
