Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has confirmed that Microsoft Office will come to the iPad just as soon as it’s ready for devices with a touchscreen. Speaking at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Florida today, Ballmer said, “iPad will be picked up when there’s a touch first user interface.”
That user interface is “in progress” Ballmer added, but it’s likely to come to the Windows version of Office first.
Microsoft brought Office Mobile to the iPhone back in June, and we’ve been waiting for an iPad version ever since. After all, users are much more likely to work on Office documents on the iPad’s larger display than they are on the pocket-size iPhone. But Microsoft expected us to use its Office web apps inside the iPad’s browser instead.
Now it appears the software giant has accepted the iPad needs its own Office app, but that won’t come until the right interface is ready. And as you might expect, that interface will make its debut on Microsoft’s own Windows-powered Surface tablet before it is launched on a competing device.
Microsoft showed off a special “Metro-style” version of PowerPoint earlier this year at the company’s Build developer conference, The Verge reports. But it did not commit to a release date.
Via: The Verge
