Microsoft Rolls Out Major Updates of it Office Suite for iPad Users

Microsoft released the first major update to its Office suite for the iPad. Labeled as version 1.1, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint each received several new features that were widely requested since the suite was released on March 27, 2014.

Although both PowerPoint and Excel received their own unique updates, several features were added to all three apps, including the frequently requested ability to export documents as PDF files. Users can also manually crop photos and images in all three apps using a new crop tool that allows you to choose from a list of popular preset sizes, or create your own. (A reset button is also included.) Finally, Office for iPad also has the ability to import external fonts.

Word for iPad (1.1 update):

• Now you can send Word files as PDFs.
• Picture Tools: Crop to focus on just the right part of a photo, or reset to undo your changes.
• Fonts: Third-party fonts are now available in the Fonts menu.

Excel for iPad (1.1 update):

• Now you can send Excel files as PDFs.
• Flick to Select: Flick a cell’s selection handle in any direction to quickly and easily select all the data in a row or column.
• External Keyboard Support: Using an external keyboard is even easier. Use the same keys to input data and move around a worksheet as you would on your PC or Mac.
• PivotTables: Interact with PivotTables that have source data in the same workbook.
• Print Options: More paper sizes and scaling options give you more control over the layout when printing your workbooks.
• Picture Tools: Crop to focus on just the right part of the photo, or reset to undo your changes.
• Fonts: Third-party fonts are now available in the Fonts menu.

PowerPoint for iPad (1.1 update):

• Presenter View: View and edit speaker notes, see your next slide, or jump to other slides while presenting.
• Play Media: Play videos, sound effects, and background music while presenting.
• Insert Video: Insert videos from your Camera Roll.
• Picture Tools: Crop to focus on just the right part of the photo, or reset to undo your changes.
• Presenter Tools: Now you can erase highlights and drawings on your presentation.
• Send PDFs: Send PowerPoint files as PDFs.
• Hyperlinks: Add links to your presentation or edit existing ones.
• Fonts: Third-party fonts are now available in the Fonts menu.

This update is the second major update the Office software has gotten since its March release. Back in April, the three apps gained some important features that had been missing since the launch, including the ability to print directly from the apps. Microsoft’s Office for iPad apps have proven to be highly successful for the company. During its Q4 earnings call in July, Microsoft announced that its Office for iPad software had been downloaded more than 35 million times.

Microsoft has committed to continually improving its Office for iPad apps, which now directly compete with Apple’s own iWork suite including Numbers, Keynote, and Pages. “As this wave of updates hopefully shows, we’re making good on our commitment to delivering continuous updates and improvements to the Office for iPad apps,” reads the company’s blog post on the new update.

All of the updates to the new Office apps are currently available and can be downloaded from the App Store for free. While the apps can be accessed for free, unlocking full capabilities, including editing and creating documents, requires an Office 365 subscription. Adding to that, Microsoft’s OneNote app for iPad has also been updated.