Microsoft Office might be dethroned from its reign in office productivity, as its biggest rival – Apple open up its pre-released beta versions of Use Apple iWork software to Windows users for free.
Apple seems to take aim at Microsoft’s highly successful Office 365. The said suite’s web-based apps are available with a monthly premium fee, but Office Online can be use at no cost. Apple’s web-based service is currently for free, though there’s no guarantee it will stay that way.
By porting iWork to iCloud anyone with an Apple ID username and password can login to iCloud and use web-based versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, which are also compatible with Microsoft’s document formats. This is the company’s bid in encouraging iCloud users to switch from using Windows to Mac OS.
iWork also works with iPhones and iPads, allowing the users to make changes on their mobile device and have the changes automatically added to the cloud.
This step may amplify the contention between two of the world’s giant leaders in technology. But Microsoft knows how to play the game well, as they recently updated Office for iPhone and iPad, adding more features and functionality available for free.
