Microsoft is planning to bring Office to the iOS App Store next year, and is trying to negotiate a revenue share plan that’s lower than the standard 30 percent cut Apple takes. Apple is reportedly not budging on its rules, according to an AllThingsD report. Read more »
The usability of Microsoft Windows 8 on a tablet is so bad that one expert says he’s sticking with Windows 7 until Windows 9 arrives. After using the Surface RT, I understand, but the real issue is lumping together an OS for tablets and PCs. Read more »
Steven Sinofsky’s ability to deliver big-money products with minimal delay put him on the short list to be Microsoft’s next CEO. But, he did not work well with others and that will be a key requirement for whoever steps in for Steve Ballmer. Read more »
Steven Sinofsky, who drove Microsoft Office and then Windows development for years, is leaving Microsoft abruptly. His duties will be assumed by Tami Reller and Julie Larson-Green, according to a company statement. Read more »
More details leak out about Microsoft’s mobile version of Office for iOS and Android devices. The Verge snagged what it says are screenshots of the app, which is reportedly on track to hit app stores early next year. Read more »
Office for iOS has been rumored to be arriving soon for at least a year. A presentation and press release from Microsoft’s Czech Republic team pins the launch of native mobile app versions of Office in March 2013. Read more »
For all of Microsoft’s huge investment in the Windows Azure cloud computing platform, there was very little mention of the multi-billion-effort on Thursday’s Q4 and FY 2012 earnings call. Microsoft CFO touted major updates for Windows, Windows Phone, Office and Windows Server in the coming year. Read more »
Google announced Tuesday that it has acquired Quickoffice, a suite of office-related mobile productivity apps for iOS and Android. The deal gives Google an established document viewing and editing platform at a critical competitive juncture, as Microsoft remains reluctant to expand Office to other mobile platforms. Read more »
A report that Microsoft will hold back on Office for iPad and Android devices until it’s out on Windows tablets and phones illustrates Microsoft’s quandary. Office is its cash cow and solidifies account control. The danger is people may like iPads more than Office. Read more »
The fourth quarter may have lacked a dominating big-event product announcement like Q3’s Facebook platform extension or Q2’s unveiling of Google+, but the NewNet world continued to buzz along. In the battle for mind share, everyone wanted to be a platform. Meanwhile, consumer and social technologies continued to gain momentum, and new vehicles for content and service discovery presented both challenges and opportunities for NewNet companies. And it is hard to ignore the overcrowded but growing world of daily deals. This quarterly report analyzes these trends and others, and it also provides a near-term outlook of trends, technologies and companies to watch in 2012. Companies mentioned in the report include Amazon, Facebook and Socialcast. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Microsoft, lumbering giant that it is, is reportedly arriving late to the iPad party with a version of its Office document editing suite in 2012. At this point, I’m wondering whether iOS users would covet an official Office solution, or whether the possibility leaves you indifferent. Read more »
Salary and benefits aren’t enough to guarantee that your best and brightest creatives will remain engaged. Rypple’s Daniel Debow presents some best practices about what does motivate your top employees and how you can keep them from going to the competition. Read more »
Coworking is a well-established trend in some areas, yet as coworking spaces expand into new cities, the owners need to educate people about the benefits and engage in some creative marketing to lure entrepreneurs in. Read more »
Symbian’s not quite dead yet for Nokia. In fact, ever since the company decided to use Windows Phone 7 as a primary platform going forward, Symbian has matured quite quickly. The latest addition? Microsoft Office software that enterprises and business users are sure to like. Read more »
The HP TouchPad hardware may not have a future, but at least updated software for the tablet does: QuickOffice HD is today updated to include document editing. That’s good news for the several hundred thousand new TouchPad owners looking to be more productive with their tablet. Read more »
There’s plenty wrong with the traditional office full of cubes, including terrible lighting, collaboration-killing isolation, an abundance of soul-crushing beige . But is the solution to slap some paint on the walls, cart in a couple of plants and reconfigure layouts to be more social? Read more »
Over the years, there have been numerous articles musing on what the office of the future would look like, but how have those predictions matched up to reality today? Let’s look at a BusinessWeek article from 1975 and an Apple video made in 1987. Read more »
Google today released Google Cloud Connect, a plug-in that allows a user to sync Microsoft Office documents with Google Docs online. It’s part of Google’s ongoing efforts to court Office users but will it lure anyone to Google’s cloud? Read more »
Microsoft has released Office 2011 for the Mac, and we’ve already looked at the new versions of PowerPoint and Word in the suite. Now it’s Excel’s turn. How does the updated spreadsheet program compare to the dismal reputation of its predecessor? Read more »
This week is World Space Week. While I’m not sure an article aimed at web working astronauts would have that big an audience, taking a look at an alternate meaning of the word “space” might. Your workspace isn’t the final frontier, but it’s important for productivity. Read more »
The official Office for Mac blog announced yesterday that Office for Mac 2011 will be available for purchase starting Oct. 26, so roughly a month from now. You can pre-order your copy now at Amazon, too. This is what I think about the beta so far. Read more »
The iPad has become a valuable tool for the mobile professional. It can be more valuable still, however, when swaddled in leather, partnered with a Mac mini and other Apple goodies and wrapped in a Mercedes-Benz S600, as Mercedes tuner BRABUS shows us with the iBusiness. Read more »
If all you want is iWork files primarily on your iPad, no need to look beyond the iWork Suite for the iPad. However, now that the iPad versions of Documents To Go and Quickoffice are finally out, which one is right for you? Read more »
Microsoft has released an upgrade to Office Mobile 2010 in conjunction with the release of Office 2010. Office Mobile 2010 has been available for Windows Mobile 6.5 devices in beta since last year. This new version is free and is available in the Windows Marketplace. Read more »
Apple’s famous word processing application Pages has seen its first update of 2010, delivered as a touch-enabled little brother for the new iPad. But how does this version stack up to its OS X counterpart? After testing the app for almost a week, here are my thoughts. Read more »
