Tim Cook welcomes Office to the App Store, but questions the strategy behind its long delay

Apple released its fiscal second quarter earnings on Wednesday, which means that CEO Tim Cook got to answer a ton of questions from analysts. With iPad sales in the quarter disappointing Wall Street, the tablet was the subject of a number of analysts' questions. One of the questions was about the recently launched Microsoft Office suite for the Apple iPad. Microsoft had kept the software away from the iPad so that its Microsoft Surface slates could have an advantage over Apple's tablets.

Cook called Office "a key franchise," and welcomed Microsoft to the App Store. The executive also called it a "good thing" for the iPad in the enterprise. But Cook also questioned Microsoft's strategy. "If it had been done earlier, it would’ve been better for Microsoft frankly," the CEO said. One analyst earlier this year, said that the Redmond based company was losing $2.5 billion a year in revenue by keeping the Office suite away from the iPad.

While the Microsoft Office Suite is a free download from the App Store, it only allows users to view older documents and make presentations. To do the fun stuff, like editing older documents and creating new ones, Apple iPad users will need a subscription to Office 365. Microsoft has just released a personal version of Office 365 for $69. That includes 20GB of SkyDrive cloud storage and 60 minutes of free Skype calls. The $99 version of Office 365 brings support for up to five iPads.

source: TechCrunch

17 Comments

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posted on 23 Apr 2014, 21:30 4

1. Ninetysix (Posts: 2623; Member since: 08 Oct 2012)

MS is in it for the $$$ of course. It's always about the $$$ :)

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 21:35 6

2. AfterShock (Posts: 3698; Member since: 02 Nov 2012)

Apples crying about lost revenue from it, not MS.

Just saying.

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 22:09 8

8. marbovo (Posts: 658; Member since: 16 May 2013)

Of course it is about money, what else could it be? love?? lol

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 23:08

12. JC557 (Posts: 1788; Member since: 07 Dec 2011)

Maybe some kind of Trojan horse thing... teh evil microsofts haxors!!!1

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 22:17

10. Sauce (unregistered)

Of course it is… While this guy in the thumbnail swims in his pools of $$$$$$$$$$$$$, he's laughing at all the people who hate on his company lol.

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 21:40 1

3. gorkapr (Posts: 74; Member since: 23 Aug 2012)

MS and Apple is for the $$

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 21:44 4

4. jellmoo (Posts: 1976; Member since: 31 Oct 2011)

Every for profit company is for the $$. Every publicly traded company is *really* for the $$.

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 21:58 2

7. KillerKeyboard (Posts: 344; Member since: 21 Nov 2013)

Every company does.

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 21:47 2

5. joey_sfb (Posts: 6534; Member since: 29 Mar 2012)

Android has the office editing feature for free. Very confused. Both should be free.

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 21:56 2

6. jellmoo (Posts: 1976; Member since: 31 Oct 2011)

The version for Android (and iPhone for that matter) is a very bare bones application. You can make some small edits and the like, but you don't have the functionality to make large scale changes. The iPad version is very full featured, much closer to what is present on the desktop.

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 22:10

9. marbovo (Posts: 658; Member since: 16 May 2013)

thanks for the heads up

posted on 23 Apr 2014, 22:18 1

11. joey_sfb (Posts: 6534; Member since: 29 Mar 2012)

Thanks for the information. I like Google Quick Office more compared to Office Mobile.

Even desktop office I only use 10% of its feature.

posted on 24 Apr 2014, 00:42

13. 0xFFFF (Posts: 3806; Member since: 16 Apr 2014)

Glad to know Microsoft crippled Android Office. I tried downloading this and found it wasn't even supported for my tablet.

Thank goodness the tablet I use the most came with Polaris Office. It works just fine for my limited needs to view/edit Office documents on the tablet.

posted on 24 Apr 2014, 03:49

14. Just.Saying (Posts: 132; Member since: 04 Apr 2013)

Does this dude have real teeth or false ?

posted on 24 Apr 2014, 07:18

15. jroc74 (Posts: 6019; Member since: 30 Dec 2010)

Why was MS keeping it away? My theory is that MS wanted WP, Surface to have an edge over the iOS and Android...

If WP, Surface was doing better....there might have been an even longer delay....or it might have never came to them at all.

posted on 24 Apr 2014, 12:41 1

16. Hlorri (Posts: 40; Member since: 07 May 2008)

*Yawn*.

MS Office is so.... last decade. Even in corporations - the most conservative at that - they realize that long term document retention is not feasible as long as you're held hostage to Microsoft's self interests. In the long run, Open Standards (incl. OSS) ALWAYS wins out. Always.