So Microsoft finally releases Office for iPad, the big question now is why would an iPad owner shell out good money for something they already have in iWork?
The first thought that comes to mind is that Office might be better than iWork and worth the money. This is a pretty outlandish thought in a day and age when free is the most important aspect for adopting an app, but Microsoft has decades of experience developing office productivity software so it is not a far reach to consider that Office for iPad could be a good purchase.
On the flip side is Microsoft's convoluted way it is offering the app. The product suite is comprised of three free apps, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. These can be downloaded and give the user a read-only ability with content created elsewhere.
If you want to unlock the ability to create or edit these documents, then one has to reach for their credit card. Manipulating Office content can only be done by subscribing to Office 365. This will cost $99 per year or $9.99 per month for the Home Premium version. For this price, the subscriber is given enough licenses to equip five PCs or Macs plus five tablets.
There are also three distinct plans for businesses that start at $5 per month, $60 per year for up to 25 users. For this price, you get Business-class email, online conferencing, public website, file storage and sharing and office online. The step-up program is $12.50 per month or $150 per year and adds access to the desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and several other titles. The flagship program requires a one-year contract and costs $15 per month, but can be used by up to 300 people and it adds Active Directory integration self-service business intelligence.
Apple's iWork delivers the same for free via Pages (documents), Numbers (spreadsheets), Keynote (presentations) and for the fun side of life, it includes iPhoto, Garageband and iMovie.
The primary difference between the two is Office for iPad is set up for businesses to use. There are two points that tie all this together. Most companies are Windows based and the latest trend of staffers bringing their own devices (BYOD) - read iPads - means there needs to be a way to tie the iPad into the office systems.
Now, while iWork is compatible with some aspects of Microsoft Office, it was not designed from the ground as such so a Microsoft created app is a better choice for businesses.
For home use, it would seem iWork is the better choice, in much the same way Open Office is a suitable, free, substitute for Office on a desktop or laptop.
