back to article Microsoft Office 365 on iPhone NOW: No, we're not making this up

Microsoft's Office 365 app is now available from Apple's iTunes store for iPhones, iPads and iPods. The cloud-powered, subscription-based software can be obtained if you're in the US: everyone else, including us Brits, will have to wait a while, though probably not for long. The productivity suite is pretty comprehensive, and …

COMMENTS

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  1. Thomas 4
    IT Angle

    Ummm, hang on a sec

    I thought Apple got stroppy about people charging subscriptions and micropayments on stuff bought through the App Store? Has Office 365 found a way around it?

    1. Richard Wharram

      Re: Ummm, hang on a sec

      I think they'll be OK as long as there's no link (or hint of one) to how to subscribe.

      1. gc73

        Re: Ummm, hang on a sec

        That "Buy Now" button on the last screen is a big giveaway. App cops must have been asleep the day they approved that.

    2. Mer Ner

      Re: Ummm, hang on a sec

      I would imagine the issue there was if the installed app handled transactions/micropayments for the developers rather than the App Store.

      Where as this (Office 365) is a subscription based service that is handled outside the App Store ecosystem (much like The Times or Spotify) with an app to access said service on iOS devices.

      1. Erroneous Howard

        Re: Ummm, hang on a sec

        And of course, bear in mind that this makes iOS devices more useful for the corporate crowd and thus less likely to have A.N.OTHER more corporate compatible device pushed upon them.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The rules are there has to be no payup option Apple don't get a cut of

      My guess is unless you have an account it just shows you a login screen forever. No way is Microsoft letting Apple get any Office 365 subscription money.

      But seriously, what? Why no big launch? They can't seriously think keeping this quiet will save Windows 8, can they?

  2. Martin 47

    NSA not getting enough info then?

    1. Neil B
      Thumb Down

      @Martin 47 The NSA quips are getting really tedious. We get it.

      1. Martin 47

        Oh sorry, its been in the news for a week now clearly we should move on and talk about more important stuff.

        Talking of more important stuff have you heard that some bloke I have never heard of is going to be in the next big brother house? I know its, like, wow.

      2. hplasm
        Big Brother

        Get used to it?

        No.

        NSA! NSA! NSA!

    2. GitMeMyShootinIrons

      Of course

      There are No Strings Attached.

  3. Richard Gadsden

    US only so far

    I'm sure Apple will put it in the UK store soon, though.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Macros.....

    VBA Macros / Linked spreadsheets all good?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Macros.....

      No, of course not. In short, you may as well use one of the free office suites, this is just the next in a long long of Microsoft failed products.

  5. Howard Hanek
    Joke

    Gives New Meaning to the Word Obscurity

    I can't wait to renew my contact lens prescription.

  6. Neil Porter

    The more platforms their customers can access their docs from the better surely.

    I don't see Google being humiliated by allowing Google Maps and searches to be done from an Apple phone...

    1. Eponymous Cow Turd Silver badge
      FAIL

      wibble

      "I don't see Google being humiliated by allowing Google Maps and searches to be done from an Apple phone"

      I think Apple's last attempt at a mapping application consumed all the available humiliation energy in the smartphone marketplace

  7. Alan Denman

    Strategic alliance

    It was always quite obvious the way things are heading.

    Three's a crowd and it ain't going to get any prettier from these older two.

  8. PaulW
    Thumb Up

    Well it seems to work...

    Just installed it and tested in on a few bits...

    - File shares to/from skydrive seem happy and relatively quick.

    - Excel formatting works okay - don't have any with macros/pivot tables to hand

    - Word document I tried it with (which has a nasty complex layout including some weird tables) came up cleanly - although I couldn't see an easy way to get to headers and footers.

    - My really large and stupidly complex Powerpoint file opened right - played correctly and also was editable which is really what I was most in it for

    Now for an ipad version so I can do it on something bigger than a 5" screen. If that works, Then I don't really need my work machine anymore running Windows as I can dump all the Microsoft files over to the iPad and use OtherOS to do the rest of the stuff.

    (Conditional thumbs up since it this really does work in the long run I can dump all but 1 windows machine in the house!)

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Mushroom

    Office for iPhone will destroy Nokia

    If I worked at a company that focuses on selling Windows Phones, I would be coming after Steve Ballmer with a chainsaw today.

    1. TheVogon
      Mushroom

      Re: Office for iPhone will destroy Nokia

      No you wouldnt. Nokias have a free version of Office. This is an Office 365 client that requires payment.

      Not to mention that Nokias dont break when you drop them, have a better, faster and more secure OS, better UI (That Apple copied in IOS7!) better Maps, NAV, Microphones, Camera, etc, etc....

  10. Dana W
    Trollface

    @Mendling Coming after Steve Ballmer with a chainsaw. Does it really NEED a reason?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I guess it depends on whether you want Microsoft to be a competently run company or not

      I'm sure Larry Ellison, Larry Page, Tim Cook, the PS4 team and the founders of Skype love him to bits. But unlike Nokia they don't depend on Microsoft for the future.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Now all I need.........

    Is a 22inch Ipad and I'm good to go for Office IOS.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's funny timing. Thought office-readiness was one of the main selling points for the Surface. Now, months after it's available, they put an iPhone version out? Sounds to me like the sales figures for Surface (Pro) and other Windows fondleslabs are way behind M$'s expectations.

    Like someone else reckoned earlier, I too think that the Surface will vanish from the stores (if it has ever arrived) by next year.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      iOS version, not just iPhone. No more beer for me tonight.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Microsoft have released an iPhone Office 365 client. Not Office for iPhone. Big difference...

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Seriously?

    Does anyone actually attempt to use Office on a mobile phone? How bizarre.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Seriously?

      I have asthma and my doctor has asked me to record my peak flow first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I have an excel spreadsheet for this and use my phone to update it. It's a classic use scenario, you don't need to do much or anything complicated, but it's at a time when digging out a laptop or using my desktop is incontinent, also if I'm away for the night I don't need to cart around a full sized laptop.

  14. Gil Grissum
    Pint

    Really?

    Trying to get iPhone users to pony up for an Office 365 subscription? I think not. I'm not buying an Office 365 subscription, EVER.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Really?

      But lots of the companies they work for will use Office 365....

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Really?

      Well they were stupid enough to pay the Apple tax. Sounds like a good punt to me....

  15. Christian Berger

    There's one thing I need to applaud Microsoft for

    They somehow manage to make people believe "Office" "productivity" software is still relevant in a world of e-mail and Etherpad Lite.

    1. TheVogon
      Mushroom

      Re: There's one thing I need to applaud Microsoft for

      You mean Office - with Outlook - the world's most popular email client? And wtf is 'Etherpad Lite'?

  16. Tom Chiverton 1

    OMG. That's fugly.

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