Downloads for Microsoft's Office for iPad hit the 12 million mark in just one week, showing that despite the company's late entry into the mobile game, there's still plenty of consumer interest. The apps are free to download, but thanks to in-app purchases, they quickly hit the top grossing list, too.
12 million downloads in ones week. Not bad for the late comer.
The app suite includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote as individual downloads. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will only let users open and view files. With an Office 365 subscription, however, you can also create and edit documents.
Microsoft waited several years before bringing Office to the iPad, giving several other developers a big opportunity to step in and create their own apps. That long lead time called into question whether or not Microsoft had missed the boat and given away its chance to own Office on the iPad.
Based on the number of downloads so far, Microsoft seems to be doing just fine with its iPad apps. Looks like there was still room in the iPad market for Big Redmond.