Microsoft's Office software package is coming to Apple Inc.'s iPhone for the first time Friday, offering people the ability to read and edit their text documents, spreadsheets and slide presentations at the doctor's office or at a soccer game.
The company isn't making an iPad version, though, nor is it offering the app on Android devices. Microsoft Corp. is treading a fine line as it tries to make its $100-a-year Office subscription more compelling, without removing an advantage that tablet computers running Microsoft's Windows system now have - the ability to run popular Office programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Office Mobile for iPhone is available free through Apple's app store, but an Office 365 subscription is required to use it. That subscription lets you use Office on up to five Mac and Windows computers for the annual fee. A subscription can be more expensive than buying the package outright for just one or two computers, but the iPhone version won't be sold separately for those who resist the recurring fee.
Microsoft has been pushing subscriptions as a way to get customers to keep paying for a product that has historically been sold in a single purchase. The company touts such benefits as the ability to run the package on multiple computers and get updates for free on a regular basis. Microsoft said it wants to give customers yet another reason to embrace subscriptions by offering Office on the iPhone only with a subscription.
Chris Schneider, a marketing manager with Microsoft's Office team, would not comment on any plans for the iPad or Android. Office is available on those devices through a Web browser, but it's not as rich or powerful as having stand-alone software installed directly on the device. The Web app also requires an Internet connection, something not always available with many tablets.
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