Last month, Microsoft promised that universal versions of the Microsoft Office suite will be expected to be seamlessly incorporated in Windows 10, the new all-encompassing Windows operating system that will run on smartphones, tablets, and even personal computers.
Even in the advent of touchscreen mobile devices, Microsoft has been slow to catch up, especially in terms of making its Microsoft Office suite (which contains staples like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) more accessible to today's smartphone owners. But Microsoft is doing something about it now, and this should have mobile-using Microsoft fans excited.
The revamped Microsoft Office suite has been given a new look and feel. But purists need not worry -- it still retains much of its original functionality. Microsoft just found a way to update it for the Mobile Age.
For example, if you use Word on Windows 10, you will be able to tap a "Read" icon that can turn lengthy Word files into a format that is easier to swipe using one's fingers. As for Excel, it is just a matter of dragging columns and inserting new ones (like the old-school style of creating spreadsheets), but Microsoft has cleverly made it more touch-friendly. Lastly, with the new and improved PowerPoint, you can tap and hold to point at items on a particular slide just like a laser pointer, and even doodle on your projections using your fingers.
All of the Word, Excel, PowerPoint apps, and others contained in the Microsoft Office suite are still on preview status of course, which means they will still likely undergo further polishing and enhancements. After all, creating a Microsoft Office suite that performs equally well on any device, whether smartphone, tablet, or PC, is no walk in the park.
Those who are running the latest build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview (that's Build 9926), you can check out these previews for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Microsoft stated that the apps are being updated frequently, and universal versions of OneNote and Outlook should be out soon.
Those who have not yet acquired a copy of the new Windows 10 operating system should sign up for the Windows Insider Program.
Later this year when Windows 10 finally ships, the Microsoft Office suite will be pre-installed in all smartphones and tablets running on Windows. Microsoft is also busy finalizing its Office 2016 suite, which is designed for PC users without touchscreens. Like Windows 10, the Office 2016 suite will be made widely available in the later part of 2015.
