MS Office is Coming to the iPad!

Microsoft is finally bringing Office to the iPad.

I know this doesn’t qualify as earth-shaking news, but I’m uber glad to see it.

The discussion in the news articles questioned why Microsoft would release a product that benefits its rival tablet maker, Apple. The answer — at least to me — is obvious. It looks like this: $$$$.

Everytime Microsoft sells another copy of Office, it makes $$$$.

Whatever the reasoning that took place inside Microsoft, I’m glad to see the decision. I’m not so sure about buying a subscription service instead of just buying the app outright. Since that’s the only way I can get Office for my iPad, I may take a pass. The free stuff that Apple offers, coupled with iCloud, seems to be working just fine for my needs.

But if you need Office to do your work, it’s a no-brainer.

Office for the iPad: What will they think of next?

From CBS:

One of the most epic tech rivalries around has taken another twist. Microsoft officially launched Office for Apple’s iPad on Thursday, after holding out against the competitor’s iconic tablet for almost four years.

Microsoft’s new CEO, Sayta Nadella, ushered in a new era for the company by promising to focus more on the popular mobile devices.

Nadella made his first major public appearance as CEO at Thursday’s event, and said he felt rejuvenated after his 22 years at the company,.

“You see things from a fresh set of eyes and fresh perspective,” Nadella told a crowd of reporters gathered for the announcement in San Francisco.

When former CEO Steve Ballmer was in charge, a Windows-centric view dominated the company’s decision-making process. In making such a paradigm shift, Nadella is betting that Microsoft can win back some of the business professionals that now run competing productivity apps on the popular tablet,reports CNET.

The new Microsoft Office apps will allow iPad users to edit and create documents, spreadsheets and presentations — for a price. With the “freemium” download, users will be allowed to view a document or presentation without needing a paid subscription. However, in order to edit or create a document, users will need a subscription to Office 365.