Microsoft tosses Office, Skype portball to 20 Android makers

LG and Sony have joined 18 other device makers in the latest phase of Microsoft’s strategy to get Office and Skype as portable as possible. The global and regional Android device makers will inject Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, OneDrive and Skype on forthcoming fondle pads. A new LG tablet and Sony Xperia Z4 will debut …

[Henry Wertz 1]

Preloaded apps

"Microsoft reckoned that pre-installing the apps and services would make it easier for customers on Android machines to access them."

Well, really it doesn't make anything easier to have a bunch of junk preloaded onto my phone or tablet, if I wanted to "access these services" I could type "Office" into Google Play no problem and install it. But, I already have "QuikOffice" or something (that I never use) preloaded on so i guess go ahead Microsoft, I don't care *which* "Office that I never use" is preloaded.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Preloaded apps

Office really works on a 5-6inch screen, not.

[Geoffrey W]

Re: Preloaded apps

Completely off topic but your comment did remind me just how useless tablets are for office applications. I quickly discovered I preferred pen and paper rather than use the office app on my tablet. Have an upvote.

[Zane]

Re: Preloaded apps

First: you got the upvote. Because you are absolutely right, pen & paper is more productive than using Office products.

But then, however, it's not only better than using Office on a tablet, it's also better than using Office on a desktop.

/Zane

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Preloaded apps

> I don't care *which* "Office that I never use" is preloaded.

Until it starts sending your contacts or location out into the cloud with some background service. Long live the privacy guard feature in cyanogenmod at least.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Preloaded apps

I didn't mean to imply Microsoft would necessarily do this but you should be some what weary of any preloaded app. The whole recent Lenovo saga taught that.

[Anonymous Coward]

Removal?

Can they be removed, or will we be force-fed more super-glued apps that no one wants?

[Flocke Kroes]

Re: Free Office ???

Or do they mean bundled: buy a device and some of the money goes to Microsoft?

I have no problem with crapware as it reduces the price and it disappears when I wipe the device and install the OS of my choice. Where I draw the line is bundled. I should have a choice about what I pay for.

[Anonymous Coward]

More bloatware :-(

The bane of our lives.

[Mikel]

Quoting myself here

>What if Microsoft offered Office for Android, and nobody cared? - Me

Apparently the answer is you'll get it whether you want it or not.

[JP19]

Oh dear

More crap that you have to root your device to get rid of properly.

[John Sanders]

Suppose we play along...

And we accept those as valid office mobile type of things (if such a thing exists, tablets & phones are useless for office work IMHO)

How long until MS makes their Office work better and have more features than the Android and iOS version?

It is not that they have done such things in the past... no.

[saif]

Its the usual probably

Probably using the standard paradigm. You get a year free use of office 365; then as you are irretrievably dependent on it, you have to start paying subs or buy another device. Its is the OOXML(docx format that is invasive not the application itself.

[Dan 55]

Yeah, about including Skype...

Perhaps MS could finally fix the bug where the calling party thinks they're calling you but your phone does nothing... Eventually the non-call times out as unanswered.

Skype has never been that good but lately it's a disaster.

[Howard Hanek]

Question

Was the cute Android thingy with the Microsoft logo the inspiration of another Kim Philby?