You can open a file in Box and then transfer it to Word or Excel, but in doing so you're making a duplicate-and getting that file back into Box is a convoluted runaround that I can't really recommend to anyone. If you're using some other cloud-storage service, such as Box, it's a lot less convenient. (You can turn this feature off if you'd rather manually sync changes.) There's even a Save As dialog-which you'll almost never see in iPad apps-that lets you give a document a name and choose where it'll live on your cloud drive of choice. Unlike most iPad document-editing experiences, which involve copying a file from somewhere, editing it on the iPad, and saving a copy back to a server, the Office apps will automatically sync changes back and forth between OneDrive or Dropbox and the iPad. (One of the advantages of saving a file to OneDrive is that it's also directly accessible in the Office web apps, as well as PC Office.) The only other native cloud-storage service currently supported is Dropbox, which appears as a peer to OneDrive and functions more or less the same when you're the only one work on a file. Obviously, OneDrive is closely integrated into these apps, though it's not required.
#Office 2016 for ipad for mac
(Microsoft says a new version of Office for Mac is coming later this year.) It's indisputably Office, and has design flourishes that set it apart from most iOS apps-and make it feel more familiar for users of Office on other platforms-but it's first-rate software. Maybe a whole new generation of Office users will spring up on touch devices, ready to plug in their employer's Office 365 information once they take their first job.Īs a Mac user, I've got to admit that the iOS version of Office feels much more refined than the creaky, five-year-old version of Office that still counts as current on the Mac.
#Office 2016 for ipad for free
Still, in a Bring-Your-Own-Device world, letting users get comfortable with Office apps on the iPad for free on their own time is probably a smart move. Businesses are expected to pay for Office 365 in order to honor the licensing terms. But back in November, Microsoft changed its tune and made all the iOS apps free for anyone to use for basic, non-commercial tasks. The iOS Office apps have always been free, but initially they weren't particularly useful unless you were an active Office 365 subscriber. That's because the Office for iOS apps are terrific. I'm looking forward to hearing how Windows users respond to the new touch Office apps, but if the quality of the iOS apps is any indication, it should be positive. Those buttons include quick access to undo/redo and search, among other features. The Windows apps align the tabs to the left side, while on iOS the tabs appear in the center (with an iOS-style font and all-caps labels), with additional buttons aligned left and right. But the core design-an attractive, bright color-coded header (blue for Word, green for Excel, red for PowerPoint, purple for OneNote) containing a tabbed toolbar-is the same. Here's Richard Hay's screen shot of the Windows app headers, posted here on Thursday.Īnd here's a look at those same apps on an iPad running iOS 8: It's early days yet, but the touch-enabled apps look similar to the what Microsoft already rolled out for iOS.
#Office 2016 for ipad windows 10
On Wednesday Microsoft released touch-enabled versions of the core Office apps to users of the Windows 10 Technical Preview.