What are Office Web Apps and can I use my iPad with Office 365 Web Apps?

Office Web Apps are a part of two Microsoft cloud service offerings: Microsoft SkyDrive (standalone at https://skydrive.live.com and a part of Live@edu) and Microsoft SharePoint Online. With Office Web Apps, you have the ability to create, view and edit the following Office documents within your Safari, Firefox, or IE browser:

• Word
• Excel
• PowerPoint
• OneNote

You can upload existing Office documents to SkyDrive or SharePoint Online and allow others to view in their browsers without having a local copy of Office installed.  Light editing of these documents is also allowed. Unlike competitor’s choices here, maintaining fidelity is a big focus for Office Web Apps such that you don’t lose key formatting, graphics, charts, watermarks, etc. when viewing/editing the documents in the browser.

What does Office Web Apps look like?:

Excel Web App in a browser:

Word Web App in a browser:

PowerPoint Web App in a browser:

OneNote Web App in a browser:

You can open Office Web Apps samples here:

• Word

• • School report
  • Newsletter
  • Meal planner

• Excel

• • College budget
  • 401k planner
  • Fitness training program

• PowerPoint

• • Project plan presentation
  • Solar system presentation
  • Teamwork presentation

• OneNote

• • Move planner
  • Home improvement notebook
  • House-hunting notebook

To read more about Office Web Apps in general visit here.

To read more specific details on supported Office document versions, browsers, coauthoring, etc for Office Web Apps as a part of SharePoint Online within Office 365 view the service description here.

 

Does Office Web Apps work with my iPad?

Yes, you can use your iPad for viewing Office Web App documents within SkyDrive or SharePoint Online.  Additionally, Apple just released an update to their iOS (5.0.1) for iPad which contains some HTML fixes which is slated to resolve some of the Office Web Apps editing problems with the iPad.

 

 

What browsers and mobile devices have been tested with SharePoint Online Office Web Apps (as of 4/6/12)?

· Internet Explorer 7 and later on Windows operating systems

· Safari 4 and later on Mac operating systems

· Firefox 3.5 and later on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems

· Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile^® 5/6/6.1/6.5

· Safari4 on iPhone 3G/S

· BlackBerry 4.x and later

· Nokia S60

· NetFront 3.4, 3.5 and later

· Opera Mobile 8.65 and later

· Openwave 6.2, 7.0, and later