As news tells us today, Microsoft is reportedly in the process of making Microsoft Office available to both iOS and Android platforms. The app is rumored to be available in late February or early March for iOS and then possibly sometime in May for Android. I’ve mentioned in a couple of my articles before that I thought this would be a useful feature to add to multiple platforms, but would people actually use it?
I would like to say that I’d use Microsoft Word all the time on my phone to help me while writing articles, but the hardest part for me would be my spelling blunders that I often come across while on my phone. AutoCorrect is well-known for taking one word and turning it into something completely unrelated.
“Hey man, how are yaks doing today?”
“I meant yaks.”
“Yaks.”
“YAKS.”
“Y-O-U.”
So I could just imagine what kind of damage that might do if I was to attempt to write an entire article. However, it would be nice to be able to use a Bluetooth keyboard with my iPad and write an article that way. I use Microsoft Office for just about everything when I write on my PC, and then I format it using whatever system I use to post the articles. A backwards way of doing things, but I find Office to be a convenient way to help correct grammar and spelling mistakes.
I’m not sure what other Office functions would go well on a device aside from Word and possibly PowerPoint. Excel can make spreadsheets so tiny sometimes that I can only imagine how miniscule it would look on a phone screen (although I suppose that’s what ‘zoom’ is for, isn’t it?) It’s been a while since I’ve used Outlook, but our phones are already so well integrated with e-mail I can’t really find a good reason to implement Outlook into the mobile app.
As for all of the other programs associated with the Office Suite (Access, Groove, Publisher, etc.) I personally wouldn’t use them, since I don’t even use them on my computer. However, I’m sure there are people out there who do and may be beneficial for them to be able to use those features on their phones.
But what about the other programs out there that have already been made as an alternate to the MIA Microsoft Office app? You’ve got apps like Documents To Go, Kingsoft Office, and countless others. Many have grown accustomed to using these alternatives on their device instead of Word. I wonder how many would switch to Office simply because of familiarity?
I think that adding an Office App to these two platforms is a good move for Microsoft. I know a lot of people (myself included) that have been waiting for this to come out. I’m not sure exactly how well it will work, but I’m willing to try it out and hope for the best. However, now that these two apps are coming out, will Windows Phones see a decrease in sales? I don’t see that happening as Office isn’t the only thing Windows Phone has to offer, but it would be something to keep an eye on after they release this app.
What do you think? Would you put Microsoft Office on your device, or would you rather stick with what you already have? Do you think it’s a good move for Microsoft? Let me know what you think!
Image via WinBeta
