Microsoft Executive: Apple's Free iWork Is Irrelevant

According to a report on October 24th, Beijing time, Microsoft Vice President Frank Shaw wrote a blog post on Wednesday discussing Apple's new iPad. Users of the new iPad will be the first to receive free iWork and iLife software.

Since launching the Surface tablet, Microsoft has targeted the iPad. Microsoft pointed out that the keyboard-equipped cover of the Surface, along with Office software, are important differentiating factors. Now, Apple has responded by starting to offer iWork and iLife for free.

Frank Shaw stated: "Since iWork has never received much attention, and its pricing seemed like an afterthought, Apple’s move this time is not surprising or significant, nor does it change the fact that it is relatively difficult to accomplish work on a device that lacks precise input and does not support a truly multitasking desktop."

On Tuesday, Apple released the newly named iPad Air and Retina display iPad mini, and simultaneously announced that the new tablets would come with free versions of iWork. This will make tablets suitable for both entertainment and office work, similar to Microsoft's positioning of the Surface tablet. Through the new version of iWork, users can collaborate with others and share documents created in Pages, Keynote, and Numbers applications via cloud computing technology.

The new version of iWork is seen as challenging services such as Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365. For users of the new Macs and iOS devices, iWork will be free, which contrasts sharply with Office 365, which requires a subscription. However, both the Surface and Surface 2 tablets come with free Office software.

Frank Shaw stated: "Both Surface and Surface 2 come with free Office. This is the world's most popular and powerful office software. And they cost less than the iPad 2 and iPad Air. This means that Apple's decision to include less popular, less powerful iWork for free in their tablets is not a major move or a great initiative."

There is no doubt that Microsoft is a leader in the office software field, and office software is another key revenue source for Microsoft besides Windows. With Microsoft ready to launch an iPad version of Office, Apple's free provision of iWork is not a coincidence. Perhaps this is also the reason why Frank Shaw wrote this blog post.

He stated: "When we see Apple lowering prices on their struggling, lightweight office applications, we are not worried. I see Apple's efforts to catch up."