The launch of iPad versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint was greeted enthusiastically yesterday and the reviews and general reception have been generally very good. While the apps are impressively feature-packed, there is one option that is notable by its absence — printing. While it is possible to print documents created in the apps, there is no built-in print function. This is something that Microsoft will address in future, if PC World’s interpretation of a rather vague statement is correct, that is.
As noted by PC World, the Word help documentation confirms that print support is currently lacking, but Microsoft says that it “will absolutely continue to update the app on a regular basis.”
Asked outright by the website whether a print function was on the cards, Microsoft issued the following statement:
Office for iPad was designed from the ground up for the iPad and for the productivity scenarios that an iPad is well suited for. For example, delivering a PowerPoint presentation, reviewing and annotating a Word document or making changes to a financial analysis in Excel. Office for iPad ensures that documents look as good as they do on a PC or Mac. The apps have a familiar look and feel, and are designed for touch. And when you edit documents with the iPad, you can be sure that no content or formatting is lost.
We will continue to update the applications based on customer feedback and needs. Similar to other Microsoft apps (like OneNote for iPad) and the Office 365 service, we provide feature updates based on an ongoing basis. Since launching Office 365 last year, we’ve delivered more than 100 updates to the commercial and consumer services extending the Office 365 subscription value.
PC World is taking this to mean that print functionality will be added at some point in the future, although this has clearly not be said directly.
Is built-in printing support something you think is necessary, and is too much being read into Microsoft’s statement?
Further reading: Microsoft, Office 365
