With google, I choose to store my data in the cloud, so I understand why I need to log in. With MS my data is local, and I'm not interested in their online services.
I didn't see the "skip" option. I thought MS is forcing everyone to sign up for their cloud. That's what I was complaining about. If the skip option is there, and is clearly visible, then there's no problem, and my original comment is irrelevant.
You are an uninformed hypocrite if you have a Gmail account but won't make an Outlook.com/Hotmail account. I trust Microsoft with my data ten-fold over Google, or just about any other fortune 500 company.
It wasn't so long ago (5 years) that Google's encryption keys were hacked WITH AMATEUR SOCIAL ENGINEERING by Chinese Hackers.
Of course nobody remembers it, because Google, having as much power over the Internet as they do, buried every article related to the breach.
This is utter nonsense. It has nothing to do with the accounts I do have and how the companies use my data. I'm well aware of that and make those decisions as an informed individual. However, not everyone wants 80 accounts. Any time some app or site wants me to create a new account just to do some mundane thing I skip. I realize also that this particular case let's you skip signup. I'm just addressing the faulty premise that anyone who doesn't want a new account for every service must be ignorant.
For clarification, you can click the "skip" option at the bottom of the first screen after installing it to bypass signing in. Doing so allows you to proceed to the meat and potatoes of the app :)
The problem is that people who can see only one "good" solution (in this case Google) will always find a reason to criticize anything else. So it's ok Google gathers EVERYTHING about them but MS asking you to log on to get additional features? Outrageous!
Any other service that asks me to sign in, is actually running in the cloud (gmail, skype, pandora, facebook, etc). With MS, I just want to open a local document on my phone - no cloud or account should be needed.
Yes, I'm using MS the same way I used it in 2002: when someone sends me a Word document (typically via email), I want to open it with Word application. What has changed?
Is that an attempt to compete with Google Docs? A bit late for that, don't you think? Kinda like Bing vs Google search. I think I'll stick with Google for now, unless you can tell me how MS is better.
office online is much more capable than google docs. office online has existed since 2011 actually. So its not actually that late. problem is microsoft marketing- no one knows about it.
i wont go through listing all the differences. you can search online for that. however give it a try and see. it can work with docs saved in OneDrive, DropBox, and Box. syncs settings and history across devices. its really nice
That's a ridiculous stance to take. First and foremost because you are saying just because someone else has done it well (some I contest regarding Google Docs), that no one else should bother. That's supporting a monopoly, and those rarely end well for the customer.
Secondly, it suggests that Google Docs is a better product than Microsoft Office. It's subjective, but I think Office is far, far better.
Thirdly, Microsoft have had an office cloud service for several years. It's changed names a few times, and I think been completely replaced once, but it has existed.
You made good points. However, MS failed to give me a reason to try their product. How are they better than Google Docs? Besides, when I installed MS Office Mobile a week ago (this was a few days before this announcement, so it might still had been a beta at that point) they didn't give "skip" option. I was stuck at the page demanding MS account, when all I wanted was to open a powerpoint document someone emailed me. So instead of motivating me to try their cloud based features, they were making my life harder. Of course, at that point I aborted the installation, and installed Google Slides app, which opened the slides without a hitch (maybe because I was already signed in to Google services, since I'm using Gmail, I have no idea, but I don't care).
10 years ago Google successfully persuaded me to switch to Gmail from my long time Yahoo account. They gave me 3 good reasons: First, they showed me how slick and modern their interface looks compared to Yahoo at the time (I think it was AJAX-based, or something like that, looked fantastic compared to the old and tired Yahoo UI). Second, their spam filter worked really well. With Yahoo, I was getting something like 10-20 spam emails every week, with Gmail, I maybe got 1 per month. Finally, they had a killer feature: conversation view. As soon as I saw how it works, I wanted it. That's how you compete.
Probably the "forced" experience during Windows install somewhat sours the relationship to the concept. Microsoft fails to communicate anything about additional value of the account for desktop users. The various form factors don't just impact the UIs, but the ways services are used.
WHY does Microsoft insist on making these apps, "US Only"? I have to sideload these, OneNote (which doesn't work at all on my Xperia Z2), and even Office Lens. Goddammit, Microsoft!
I just download their APK from apkmirror or something and install it. Can even get notifications when updates are available via pushbullet so it doesn't suck all that much. Still, I'd have appreciated if it was available on Play anyhow.
The Microsoft link explicitly says that they are available from Galaxy Apps worldwhile and from certain sites in China. My phone is a Samsung, but I downloaded them from the Google Playstore.
Then perhaps it's 'selected' countries which usually means mostly in the Western ones. I'm in Pakistan and besides Outlook, OneDrive, and Skype, all of Microsoft apps have to be sideloaded
It's nice to see Microsoft expanding the reach of Office. There are a lot of Android devices out there so getting their presence into the pockets of so many people can't hurt and the existing Office suites for phones are features limited or are outright spyware that monitors every aspect of phone activity (not that Google isn't already capable of doing so out of the box). Still, I think Windows phones are a better choice at this point despite their many drawbacks.
MS has actually had office running on android for a long time. I really don't know what is unique about this other than its some sort of official launch. I have been using MS office since my galaxy note 3. That said the whole point of polar office etc... Is only for people to view their MS office documents once people learn about MS office the official solution they will probably all bail on polar office or any other competitor that charges money just like how no one uses lotus or word perfect anymore. The only solutions that have a chance are completely free solutions like docs. The problem with docs is that its not very feature rich, google started out like crazy on docs then they just sort of slowed down to a crawl, didn't bother addressing major issues etc... Its kinda funny I used to sort of hate MS because of the way they treated customers and the way they seemed so slow to react but after google got big they started being just like MS and Apple did the same. It seem that large companies just art not capable of reacting and building quickly. They are like elephants.
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p1esk - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
It actually requires you to sign in to MS cloud before you can open a document. No thanks.Coup27 - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
haha, massive fail if that's the case.Thermogenic - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Not sure why you trust Google with basically all of your data (via using Android phones) and not want to log into Office for Microsoft.p1esk - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
With google, I choose to store my data in the cloud, so I understand why I need to log in. With MS my data is local, and I'm not interested in their online services.Morawka - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
so your one of those guys.. well i'm sure google docs will do you just fine. all hail google right?... am i doing it right?!p1esk - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
I didn't see the "skip" option. I thought MS is forcing everyone to sign up for their cloud. That's what I was complaining about. If the skip option is there, and is clearly visible, then there's no problem, and my original comment is irrelevant.Samus - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
You are an uninformed hypocrite if you have a Gmail account but won't make an Outlook.com/Hotmail account. I trust Microsoft with my data ten-fold over Google, or just about any other fortune 500 company.It wasn't so long ago (5 years) that Google's encryption keys were hacked WITH AMATEUR SOCIAL ENGINEERING by Chinese Hackers.
Of course nobody remembers it, because Google, having as much power over the Internet as they do, buried every article related to the breach.
Alexvrb - Saturday, June 27, 2015 - link
Half the Android users I know are clueless as to how Google even makes money in the first place. Security issues are utterly foreign to them.sor - Sunday, June 28, 2015 - link
This is utter nonsense. It has nothing to do with the accounts I do have and how the companies use my data. I'm well aware of that and make those decisions as an informed individual. However, not everyone wants 80 accounts. Any time some app or site wants me to create a new account just to do some mundane thing I skip. I realize also that this particular case let's you skip signup. I'm just addressing the faulty premise that anyone who doesn't want a new account for every service must be ignorant.Smudgeous - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Not true. Using 360 simply gives access to additional features:https://products.office.com/en-us/office-resources...
Smudgeous - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
For clarification, you can click the "skip" option at the bottom of the first screen after installing it to bypass signing in. Doing so allows you to proceed to the meat and potatoes of the app :)close - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
The problem is that people who can see only one "good" solution (in this case Google) will always find a reason to criticize anything else. So it's ok Google gathers EVERYTHING about them but MS asking you to log on to get additional features? Outrageous!Stephen Barrett - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
it always makes me laugh that people are so upset about "microsoft account" when they make an account with any other service without batting an eyep1esk - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Any other service that asks me to sign in, is actually running in the cloud (gmail, skype, pandora, facebook, etc). With MS, I just want to open a local document on my phone - no cloud or account should be needed.Stephen Barrett - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
it isn't needed. it is recommended. therefore it is the default, but if you're wanting to use MS like its still 2002, you can skip.p1esk - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Yes, I'm using MS the same way I used it in 2002: when someone sends me a Word document (typically via email), I want to open it with Word application. What has changed?Stephen Barrett - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Cloud integration. Check it out at office.comp1esk - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Is that an attempt to compete with Google Docs? A bit late for that, don't you think? Kinda like Bing vs Google search. I think I'll stick with Google for now, unless you can tell me how MS is better.Stephen Barrett - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
office online is much more capable than google docs. office online has existed since 2011 actually. So its not actually that late. problem is microsoft marketing- no one knows about it.i wont go through listing all the differences. you can search online for that. however give it a try and see. it can work with docs saved in OneDrive, DropBox, and Box. syncs settings and history across devices. its really nice
testbug00 - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
DuckDuckGo way better than Google or Microsoft for search. And, not tracking you =]Tams80 - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
That's a ridiculous stance to take. First and foremost because you are saying just because someone else has done it well (some I contest regarding Google Docs), that no one else should bother. That's supporting a monopoly, and those rarely end well for the customer.Secondly, it suggests that Google Docs is a better product than Microsoft Office. It's subjective, but I think Office is far, far better.
Thirdly, Microsoft have had an office cloud service for several years. It's changed names a few times, and I think been completely replaced once, but it has existed.
p1esk - Friday, June 26, 2015 - link
You made good points. However, MS failed to give me a reason to try their product. How are they better than Google Docs? Besides, when I installed MS Office Mobile a week ago (this was a few days before this announcement, so it might still had been a beta at that point) they didn't give "skip" option. I was stuck at the page demanding MS account, when all I wanted was to open a powerpoint document someone emailed me. So instead of motivating me to try their cloud based features, they were making my life harder. Of course, at that point I aborted the installation, and installed Google Slides app, which opened the slides without a hitch (maybe because I was already signed in to Google services, since I'm using Gmail, I have no idea, but I don't care).10 years ago Google successfully persuaded me to switch to Gmail from my long time Yahoo account. They gave me 3 good reasons: First, they showed me how slick and modern their interface looks compared to Yahoo at the time (I think it was AJAX-based, or something like that, looked fantastic compared to the old and tired Yahoo UI). Second, their spam filter worked really well. With Yahoo, I was getting something like 10-20 spam emails every week, with Gmail, I maybe got 1 per month. Finally, they had a killer feature: conversation view. As soon as I saw how it works, I wanted it.
That's how you compete.
PubFiction - Sunday, June 28, 2015 - link
No one uses google docs except people who cannot afford MS office. Office online is already way ahead of them and has been for a while.TeXWiller - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Probably the "forced" experience during Windows install somewhat sours the relationship to the concept. Microsoft fails to communicate anything about additional value of the account for desktop users. The various form factors don't just impact the UIs, but the ways services are used.jay401 - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
LOL! Who would ever do that? That's what Google Drive is for. You know, the account I'm already signed into because I'm on an ANDROID DEVICE. gg MS.frostyfiredude - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
Lots of people have different preferences for their services while still using Android as their phone OS. Kinda obviousTams80 - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
They're releasing a product on a rivals service. HOW DARE THEY PUSH THEIR OWN SERVICES!frostyfiredude - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
It doesn't, hit skip.kspirit - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
WHY does Microsoft insist on making these apps, "US Only"? I have to sideload these, OneNote (which doesn't work at all on my Xperia Z2), and even Office Lens. Goddammit, Microsoft!lilmoe - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
frustrating and makes no sense whatsoever.....................lilmoe - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
oh, where do you sideload from btw?kspirit - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
I just download their APK from apkmirror or something and install it. Can even get notifications when updates are available via pushbullet so it doesn't suck all that much. Still, I'd have appreciated if it was available on Play anyhow.lilmoe - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
thanksFYoung - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
I was able to install them in Canada with no issues or workarounds.FYoung - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
The Microsoft link explicitly says that they are available from Galaxy Apps worldwhile and from certain sites in China. My phone is a Samsung, but I downloaded them from the Google Playstore.kspirit - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
Then perhaps it's 'selected' countries which usually means mostly in the Western ones. I'm in Pakistan and besides Outlook, OneDrive, and Skype, all of Microsoft apps have to be sideloadedBrokenCrayons - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
It's nice to see Microsoft expanding the reach of Office. There are a lot of Android devices out there so getting their presence into the pockets of so many people can't hurt and the existing Office suites for phones are features limited or are outright spyware that monitors every aspect of phone activity (not that Google isn't already capable of doing so out of the box). Still, I think Windows phones are a better choice at this point despite their many drawbacks.Nandie - Thursday, June 25, 2015 - link
But you cannot save the documents on the internal storage of your phone or sd card...KPOM - Saturday, June 27, 2015 - link
Are you sure this is the case? You can save documents locally on the iOS version of Office.mlazatin - Friday, June 26, 2015 - link
Too late in the game. If MS launched this earlier, there would have been no need for polaroffice, google docs, etc.PubFiction - Sunday, June 28, 2015 - link
MS has actually had office running on android for a long time. I really don't know what is unique about this other than its some sort of official launch. I have been using MS office since my galaxy note 3. That said the whole point of polar office etc... Is only for people to view their MS office documents once people learn about MS office the official solution they will probably all bail on polar office or any other competitor that charges money just like how no one uses lotus or word perfect anymore. The only solutions that have a chance are completely free solutions like docs. The problem with docs is that its not very feature rich, google started out like crazy on docs then they just sort of slowed down to a crawl, didn't bother addressing major issues etc... Its kinda funny I used to sort of hate MS because of the way they treated customers and the way they seemed so slow to react but after google got big they started being just like MS and Apple did the same. It seem that large companies just art not capable of reacting and building quickly. They are like elephants.