CloudOn – Microsoft Office Comes to the iPad (Through the Cloud!)

A new Silicon Valley startup called CloudOn has released a cool new free iPad app (App Store link) today, which brings the full functionality of Microsoft Office to your iPad through cloud computing.

The app uses CloudOn’s remote servers to allow you to use the full desktop version of Microsoft Office anywhere you have an internet collection, and provides a surprisingly useful and full-featured way to use Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint. If even supports Dropbox syncing and file storage!

CloudOn’s WorkSpace allows you to:

-Use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint on your iPad to create or edit documents.
-Rename, delete and manage documents with your Dropbox account
-Display, edit or create charts, change formatting, spell check, insert comments, into any Word, Excel or PowerPoint files
-Track changes while reviewing Word documents
-Use pivot tables and insert formulas in Excel workbooks
-Display and edit animation or transitions in PowerPoint presentations
-Present in full PowerPoint mode (not in PDF)
-Open files directly from your iPad email accounts or Dropbox account
-Automatically save documents to avoid losing changes

The app does seem to work as promised, although the desktop version of Microsoft Office isn’t exactly ideal for the iPad. Still, the ability to use desktop apps from your iPad through cloud computing is an exciting prospect!

CloudOn is available now as a free download for iPad through the App Store (link), and is currently only available to users in the U.S., though it will likely come to additional areas in the future.

J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.