Rumor: Microsoft Office for Linux!

Unia · 2013-02-06 16:02:11

Hey Archers,

I just came across this article on the Dutch website Tweakers.net that mentioned a rumor on Microsoft considering to port MS Office to Linux. Their source was this article over at Phoronix: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=n … px=MTI5MzU

What do you think about this? It seems like many, many users would instantly buy (?) this and favour it over any office suite currently out there for Linux. Would you? I'm curious to see your thoughts and reactions!

Last edited by Unia (2013-02-06 16:03:58)

bohoomil · 2013-02-06 16:05:30

Isn't it as if doing so they were going to blow themselves up?

ozar · 2013-02-06 16:26:15

Unia wrote:

What do you think about this? It seems like many, many users would instantly buy (?) this and favour it over any office suite currently out there for Linux. Would you? I'm curious to see your thoughts and reactions!

No, I don't think I'd ever use it, but it would be interesting to see what happens with it, especially if they would make it open source.

drcouzelis · 2013-02-06 16:29:28

That sure is an interesting thought. A combination of Steam and Microsoft Office on Linux would give people even less reason to boot into Windows.

If it is released for Linux I will not be buying or pirating it. I haven't needed Microsoft Office (or any closed sourced software) in many many years.

AndrzejL · 2013-02-06 16:30:23

I wouldn't use Microsoft Office under Linux BUT I like the idea of it being available. I think Microsoft is / was considered as Linux biggest enemy (and even tho I am not a fan of any corporation) I do not consider them as one. Would be great to have a Redmond Giant on our side rather then against us. I am much more concerned about some other "Linux friendly" corporation...

Recently there was a lot of bad press - lot's of whining about the UEFI / Secure boot and about "Microsoft wanting to destroy Linux once and for all...". I am not sure that's the case but people believe whatever they want to believe... Heck some folks believed the world was going to end in December 2012.

Anyway... _I_think_ it's a good news.

Just my €0.02...

Regards.

Andrzej

Last edited by AndrzejL (2013-02-06 16:38:21)

FreeTheBee · 2013-02-06 16:30:32

I saw the same article and it did surprise me a bit, I did not expect MS to care for desktop linux. It might have some negative consequences for libre- and openoffice, but perhaps increase linux adoption in working environments. I doubt the effects will be big though.

For me personally it doesn't matter so much, I use LateX for writing, LaTeX+Beamer for presentations and Scipy for data analysis, so have little need for an office suite in general. Occasionally it might be handy when collaborating with others that can only use word, or when correcting student work, but I think wine does a good enough job for these things.

boast · 2013-02-06 18:23:38

I assumed this would be some Office 365 online thing.

illusionist · 2013-02-06 18:31:17

I am not going to compromise my system's security for that piece of crap. Every software they make is broken by default. Other than that if they do so, it would be like cutting their own foot with an axe. MS-Office is one of the major reason for some people to install and use windows. Porting it to linux seems like the biggest mistake Microsoft will ever make.

kaszak696 · 2013-02-06 18:37:43

illusionist wrote:

Porting it to linux seems like the biggest mistake Microsoft will ever make.

Windows 8 is a close contender to this title. Many of their recent moves seem insane, a running trend of sorts.

dag · 2013-02-06 18:52:33

they made a apple port so with the ever growing popularity of linux desktop its a good move on their part. I too will not use it but then again I do not have business with those that use it. I found their windows 8 oddly like unity but it will be popular especially with touchscreens and laptops that double as tablets (monitor flipping).

Army · 2013-02-06 19:46:04

1. I don't believe this article.
2. If I'm wrong and the article tells the truth:
2.a) It'll only be available for Ubuntu and installing it on Arch will be a pain.
2.b) It'll only be available for 32bit installations, so it'll be an even bigger pain.
2.c) One reason might be, that Microsoft earns most of its money with Office products and many government institutions switch from Windows+Office to Linux+Open/Libreoffice. I know this is in the article as well, but my mind came up with this argument by itself, so no quotations are needed here.
2.d) But still, I don't believe this article!

blackout23 · 2013-02-06 20:53:01

I wonder what the "Linux Desktop has FAILED!!!!!" people would say if they indeed release Office for Linux.

drcouzelis · 2013-02-06 21:09:59

blackout23 wrote:

I wonder what the "Linux Desktop has FAILED!!!!!" people would say if they indeed release Office for Linux.

Linux Desktop has FAILED person wrote:

Still no Photoshop. Toy OS.

kaszak696 · 2013-02-06 21:25:57

Linux Desktop has FAILED person wrote:

Still no Photoshop. Toy OS.

'No software XYZ costing thousands of dollars that i pirated and can't even use, but is essential for every desktop user ever!'

MS also announced Office for Android a while ago, i wonder if linux version is connected to that.

Last edited by kaszak696 (2013-02-06 21:29:49)

ewaller · 2013-02-06 23:38:45

Can we please ratchet down the Microsoft bashing?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … ng_Systems

My mother always said, if you cannot say something nice, don't say anything at all....
I guess I'm done.

ngoonee · 2013-02-06 23:48:45

A key benefit of Microsoft Office on Linux would be interoperatability in an office (hehe) environment. libreoffice for editing and sending back colleague's powerpoint/word/excel documents can be a pain, and pdfs aren't suitable for everything. Office is Microsoft's strongest product, really.

Options are good.

Xyne · 2013-02-06 23:52:10

ewaller wrote:

My mother always said, if you cannot say something nice, don't say anything at all....

So she didn't have much else to say, huh?

I am Gianluca · 2013-02-07 00:05:51

Definitely I'll consider to pay for MS Office on Linux. It is a really good piece of software and the compatibility issues with other office suites make it even more desirable.
Honestly speaking it is the only reason why I still use Microsoft Windows XP on VMware.

hawaiicharles · 2013-02-07 00:25:59

While I'm no expert in the matter, I get the sense from reading Distrowatch that there are a number of distros which have been created specifically for various government departments, chiefly in the developing world. I don't know to what extent Linux has actually penetrated that market, but maybe it's enough to make Microsoft feel that it's worth their efforts to get their Office produt on those computers.

To be honest, I'm a little skeptical of this news, but if it does turn out to be true I'm definitely interested. We're married to MS Office at my workplace and that isn't going to change, so if I could use it at home on a Linux computer, that would be a good thing for me.

Edit: I didn't see at first, but the article actually mentions what I just said.

Last edited by hawaiicharles (2013-02-07 01:04:25)

drcouzelis · 2013-02-07 00:33:33

ewaller wrote:

Can we please ratchet down the Microsoft bashing?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … ng_Systems
My mother always said, if you cannot say something nice, don't say anything at all....

Your MOM uses Microsoft.

jasonwryan · 2013-02-07 01:06:37

drcouzelis wrote:

ewaller wrote:
Can we please ratchet down the Microsoft bashing?
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … ng_Systems
My mother always said, if you cannot say something nice, don't say anything at all....
Your MOM uses Microsoft.

Sometimes I really wish we had a /kick option...

nomorewindows · 2013-02-07 01:13:58

I don't know seems kinda funny...I know everyone doesn't have a copy of crossover, but some people are running Microsoft Office on Linux already. But then the downstream product of crossover is wine.

ANOKNUSA · 2013-02-07 02:34:13

The only Rumours that ever made me take notice is the Fleetwood Mac album, and that album sucks. I'll believe this when MS anounces it.

koz · 2013-02-07 02:40:41

Microsoft would never do this.

This is the same BS we hear about a port of DirectX every few years.

dag wrote:

they made a apple port so with the ever growing popularity of linux desktop its a good move on their part.

Apple is a market that Microsoft tolerates because Apple is primarily a hardware company rather than a software company. Very fashionable, but too expensive for the mainstream mass market, so they have no logical reason to ignore it, and most importantly ON A CLOSED PLATFORM. [Indirect rival]
Pretty much the same reason why Apple doesn't mind you installing whatever OS you like on the Mac range. Their main business is/was selling boxes and making huge margins.
Most people I know with a Mac usually have Windows installed alongside, anyway.

[The flip side of the coin is companies like Samsung/HTC/etc pay MS tax for every phone/tablet produced that doesn't run Windows, so they make money anyway]

Linux is a different type of rival, one which undermines the very principles that MS stands for and it is on OPEN platform, thus a direct rival.
Linux doesn't look to make money, it steals the market - and this a company who kills it's own products [for instance Windows 7 and DX 11.1] to try and sell more copies of W8.

In all truth, MS doesn't need to port to Linux, as long as WINE is there, those who need Office will get and use it, there is a reason Office doesn't work with WINE these days.
That way they can pretend the issue (selling to linux users) doesn't exist - that is, save face and still make money.
I don't think investors will be very happy with this kind of news anyway, as it would undermine confidence in Windows and we'll see more and more manufacturers (Dell, Lenovo, HP) move away from Windows (even if it means a tax).

Even Android and iOS are a different ball game, because they are already established and they control mobile market. MS is damned if they don't release Office for it, and damned if they do. So they'll try to make any $$ they can out of it, but it will be crippleware - no where close to the functionality that is offered on it's own platforms.

PS: As for people using Hyper-V as an example they are well and truly missing the point.

headkase · 2013-02-07 02:44:44

dag wrote:

they made a apple port so with the ever growing popularity of linux desktop its a good move on their part. I too will not use it but then again I do not have business with those that use it. I found their windows 8 oddly like unity but it will be popular especially with touchscreens and laptops that double as tablets (monitor flipping).

They made an Apple port, and also made a sizable cash investment in them too, to head off a second round of anti-trust litigation. At the time Apple was almost a goner and Microsoft propped them up to be the "token opposition." Microsoft could point at Apple and say: "look we're not a monopoly, they exist!" This avoided that pesky potential being broken up into smaller parts bit. Of course then Apple went onto a meteoric rise and while still not popular certainly is fashionable in it's 5% penetration. And Linux humbly sits around 1%. Unless you count Android as Linux and then Linux is the most popular (#1) operating system in the world.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-02-06 16:02:11

Rumor: Microsoft Office for Linux!

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