Microsoft - in the form of now-ex CEO Steve Ballmer - has been famously delaying releasing its Office Suite of apps for Apple's iPad.
The suite is already out for the iPhone and for Android devices, but Redmond wanted it as something of an exclusive for its own Surface tablets and readied for Windows 8 desktops and laptops before the iPad gets a bite.
But, according to `Mary Jo Foley on ZDNet, an iPad version is scheduled for release in the first half of this year:
Office for iPad -- which I've recently heard is codenamed "Miramar" -- isn't dead. In fact, it's likely to make it to market ahead of Microsoft's touch-first version of Office (codenamed "Gemini") according to a couple of my sources.
Microsoft officials have acknowledged, in a somewhat roundabout way, that it exists and is coming. Last we heard, it sounded from ex-CEO Steve Ballmer that it was going to arrive some time after Microsoft's own touch-first, "Gemini" implementation of Office. Gemini is Microsoft's Metro-Style/Windows Store versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.It's speculated that the suite of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook will be released as an Office 360 subscription package, which currently costs about £80 for five PCs or Macs plus select mobile devices.
We expect those select devices to include the iPad, although there may also be a standalone price for the Apple tablet.
Much of the apps functions are internet based, but it's thought users will be able to store stuff locally as well as on Microsoft's cloud OneDrive storage system.
(Source: ZDNet)
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