Microsoft rolls out its Office for Android tablets preview

Microsoft is looking for a cross-section of testers running different makes of Android tablets for its preview program. Those interested in applying can do so here. You can now use it to edit documents without a subscription to Microsoft's cloud version of Office, Office 365.

The company already offered an iPhone app called Microsoft Office Mobile-which combined those three classic applications and required that you pay for a subscription-but this is different.

Microsoft's plans might sound crazy to most, and at first glance it's easy to come to that conclusion, but the company argues it's a matter of moving its free web apps to mobile. 

"It's an extension of the strategy that we've got," explains Microsoft's head of Office marketing Michael Atalla. "It's not a total strategic shift, as much of an extension of the existing strategy." Microsoft offers free Office apps online, and Atalla argues that recent development model changes inside Microsoft have allowed the company to open up editing functionality to mobile clients. 

"We're taking that same user experience we provide online to the native apps of iOS and Android. We want to make sure that our customers can be productive across all the devices they have."

The Office for Android tablet suite will include Word, Excel and PowerPoint. OneNote for Android tablets is already available for download for free from the Google Play store. 

Although its a great app to use, here is a list of all the features missing on the iPhone app.