Microsoft: Being Difficult Could Backfire

As a CPA, I'm not going to be doing away with spreadsheets any time soon.  And, as a CPA in public practice, I need to make sure that the spreadsheets I create can be shared seamlessly with my clients.  That means that while iWork Numbers and Google Sheet are very capable products, there are enough gotchas in terms of formatting compatibilities to make sharing even simple spreadsheets a chore.

Yet, iPads and Android tablets and other devices like Chromebooks are becoming more popular and CPAs aren't immune to wanting the latest gadgets. In fact, for some of us, it's a disease. :)  So, can Microsoft "win" by holding back its Office suite for Windows 8 tablets?  Maybe for a short period of time, but the competitors are so close to making their products a suitable replacement to Excel and Word that any Microsoft advantage won't be long term.  Microsoft needs to lock users in to using Office on these non-Windows devices.  When I run Windows, I'm not constantly thinking whether there's something besides Excel that I should be using to make spreadsheets, but when I use my iPad or my Chromebook, I'm constantly thinking about what app I should be using to be compatible with Excel.  If Microsoft jumps in early enough, they can win the mindshare and keep me using Excel on all my devices for long term.  If they wait to long, I might just figure out that Google Sheet or Numbers works just fine.  My 2 cents. Your thoughts?

Microsoft quandary: Can Windows-first policy work in the iPad era? — Apple News, Tips and Reviews:

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