NEWS

Software giant Microsoft recently launched Microsoft Office 2013 and we all know that it will accentuate cloud assimilation with new-fangled Office 365 subscriptions for its home users. It will be tailored to suit touchscreens, and will boast Office on Demand virtualization. However, that’s not all that you need to know about Microsoft Office 2013. There are certain key factors that Microsoft is not highlighting including the likes of official release date, pricing, and whether they will be offering Apple’s iOS and Android support in their Office 2013 launch. Introduction: Microsoft Office 2013 It’s “the most ambitious and biggest Office� so far. At least that’s what Microsoft said, when they unveiled the consumer preview of their Office 2013. The latest variant of Microsoft Office comes integrated with several online services for example Facebook, SkyDrive, YouTube and Flickr. Microsoft will also be offering their online-desktop Office 365 subscription service for home users. This service will allow the users to install Microsoft Office 2013 on up to 5 PCs, after signing up for it. In addition, the users will also get 1 hour of Skype calling and an additional 20GB of SkyDrive storage. The Office 365 Home Premium package brings Excel, Access, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Word 2013. Microsoft Office 365 subscribers will also be getting a feature known as “Office on Demand,� which will have the capability to “stream� a virtual edition of Office on a PC. The most interesting thing here is that once you are done with your work, the program will automatically disappear from the PC; however, your files will be there where you saved them. If you are not excited about the Office 365 subscription, then you can always go for the standard boxed variants of Office 2013. When Will Microsoft Office 2013 Enter The Market? Microsoft has not announced any specific date for Office 2013 and Office 365 subscription services; however going by the name we guess it will be entering the market sometime next year. The present Office 2010, was launched in the month of June. What Is The Cost Of Office 2013? The confirmed pricing of Office 365 Home Premium is not available. But for Office 2010 Home and Student Edition, Microsoft charges $150, and hence the boxed Office 2013 is also expected to have price tag in that vicinity. How will the Apps Play on iOS and Android? Microsoft has proclaimed that all the Office 365 features that can be accessed in a Web Browser, will also be compatible with iOS and Android devices. However, what they meant by it is still not clear. The present variants of Microsoft Office Web apps doesn’t allow the user to edit documents on smartphones and tablets. As for now, all that you can do with the current variant of Microsoft Office 365 is access your calendar, email, tasks and contacts through Exchange Online. It also allows you to view Office documents through SharePoint. What about the availability of iOS and Android Apps? Will They Be Present? Although, nothing confirmed, but we’ve heard that the indigenous iOS apps (and perhaps Android apps) will be offered as a part of the impending new Microsoft Office 365 subscriptions, when it enters the market. It should be noted that Microsoft already gives the OneNote app for Android and iOS devices. There also are rumors about Microsoft Office for Apple’s iPad. How long will it take for the suite to go all-metro? Thus far, we only have one all-metro app launched by Microsoft for Windows 8 as an element of their Office 2013 Preview: OneNote. All the other apps from Microsoft have clear influences from the Metro design language of Microsoft, however they still are pretty much dependent on the desktop interface rather than the touch-oriented interface of Windows 8. It seems, Microsoft isn’t ready to commit their complete Office suite for the enhanced touch-centered variant of Windows as for now, and even their OneNote is available only on desktop. However, we think that in the coming year, Microsoft surely will launch the all-Metro variants of their Office programs.