is MS's generosity going to kill WP's uniqueness?

[tgp]

Office Mobile is free to use for viewing and editing (basic features) existing documents, saving to the cloud. The paid Office 365 subscription is only required to create new documents and unlock the full functionality. Your average user can get by on the free version. Office 365 is aimed towards students, small businesses and cloud-friendly enterprise environments.

Just to confirm what fatclue said above, your information here is outdated. Office on iOS & Android is now in fact free and fully functional without Office 365. I use the Android tablet version which just updated from Preview to whatever you call the normal mainstream version. It's a brilliant piece of work!

 

[TheCudder]

Just to confirm what fatclue said above, your information here is outdated. Office on iOS & Android is now in fact free and fully functional without Office 365. I use the Android tablet version which just updated from Preview to whatever you call the normal mainstream version. It's a brilliant piece of work!

I did misspeak as you do have the ability to create documents without a 365 subscription, but there are in fact advanced features that you can't get without a Office 365 subscription. The free iPad & Android apps are essentially "App" versions of the what you'd get when using Office Online, which is free ---- www.office.com . You can see detailed information about which advanced features you get with Office 365 on mobile apps, https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...com%2Fen-us%2Foffice-resources&token=BWbWoUKw

 

[Joshwin]

Apps being limited to WP won't help a mobile OS that no one cares to try. Also if Microsoft didn't bother developing for Android and iOS, those users would stick to GMail, etc. --- remember, they have the app advantage as they have multiple quality options available unlike WP. Solution? Over take their phone with your software. Minecraft, Outlook, Sunrise, lock screen software, office suite and some where down the line you're going to get curious about Windows 10 devices. It's a win win, even if they opt to stay on iOS and Android.

Ya couldn't agree more.That makes sense.

 

[Bahamen]

Just to confirm what fatclue said above, your information here is outdated. Office on iOS & Android is now in fact free and fully functional without Office 365. I use the Android tablet version which just updated from Preview to whatever you call the normal mainstream version. It's a brilliant piece of work!

Kind of strange for Microsoft to basically give away its cash cow for free. Isn't this just discouraging people from signing up on Office 365? I know subscribers get some advanced features but honestly I don't use those features very much that I don't think they justify the additional cost. What gives?

 

[tgp]

Kind of strange for Microsoft to basically give away its cash cow for free. Isn't this just discouraging people from signing up on Office 365? I know subscribers get some advanced features but honestly I don't use those features very much that I don't think they justify the additional cost. What gives?

I can't answer all your questions, but I have heard that Microsoft was forced to make the move because users were using iWorks and Google Docs instead of buying Microsoft devices in order to get Office. Now, we all understand that iWorks and Google Docs are not nearly as capable as Office, but for most users they're more than sufficient. The average user probably uses only a small fraction of Office's capabilities.

Where is it going from here? That's the big question. It's going to be fun to see how the next year or two play out!

 

[Bahamen]

I can't answer all your questions, but I have heard that Microsoft was forced to make the move because users were using iWorks and Google Docs instead of buying Microsoft devices in order to get Office. Now, we all understand that iWorks and Google Docs are not nearly as capable as Office, but for most users they're more than sufficient. The average user probably uses only a small fraction of Office's capabilities.

Where is it going from here? That's the big question. It's going to be fun to see how the next year or two play out!

Well I suppose it could be a pre-emptive strike to defend its turf in the enterprise market where the real money is. With various free office suites available it is going to be difficult to effectively monetize the consumer market, so the best they can do is give it away to prevent other competitors from gaining any foothold which could potentially disrupt their enterprise market later. At least they will then be able to emphasize the mobility aspect - seamless transition from office PC to personal devices. In any case, Bill Gates wants to make Office awesome again, so we'll see.

 

[fatclue_98]

Kind of strange for Microsoft to basically give away its cash cow for free. Isn't this just discouraging people from signing up on Office 365? I know subscribers get some advanced features but honestly I don't use those features very much that I don't think they justify the additional cost. What gives?

It's like the crack dealer. He gives you a little something to try out for free, then he's got you hooked.

 

[JamesDax]

No.

 

[anon(9057135)]

Microsoft has worked hard. Plus, There not going to leave the people who use there services stranded.