If the rumors are correct iPad users may soon have their very own, full function version of Microsoft Office to use and abuse.
iPad publication The Daily has learned from various sources that the tech giant is actively working to create a software suit for the Apple iOS, allowing their nearly 80 percent market base to use the product on the go without the need for a notebook/netbook or other bulky product.
If the Apple tablet rumor is correct it’s expected that Microsoft will charge around $10 for the product to keep it competitive against Apple’s own Pages, Numbers and Keynote products.
Along with that product Microsoft is expected to release a new version of Office in 2012 for OS X Lion, their current Office 2011 package only works up to OS X Snow Leopard.
For Office users the company’s 2012 version is also expected to go into beta testing in January or February 2012 and with it a more simplified interface and Windows 8 support is expected.
The move towards Apple based products wouldn’t be a first for Microsoft in the mobile space, they already offer a Bing application, MSN Onit and MSN OnPoint but it’s safe to safe Office for iPad would likely be the company’s biggest mobile product offering to date for Apple based devices.
According to The Daily with Office products expected to earn more than $15 billion in 2011 it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Microsoft is looking to expand the software which is second only to their Microsoft Windows OS platform.
Full Mac and Windows 8 versions of Microsoft Office 2012 are expected to launch towards the end of 2012 with an iPad version arriving sooner rather than later.
