Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel have managed to secure places as the top free apps in the App Store free download. These apps have managed to take over popular apps like Pandora, Swype, Pinterest and others. The change became visible soon after Microsoft announced that iOS Office users will now be allowed to create and edit documents for free on their iPhone or iPad without an Office 365 subscription.
“We’re making many Office for iPad features available for free. Just install the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint apps from the Apple iTunes Store and sign in with a Microsoft account,” stated the Microsoft Office Support page.
Previously, consumers without an Office 365 subscription could use the Office for iPad apps only to view documents. Under the new scheme of things, consumers will now have the chance of creating and editing documents, except “advanced editing,” a feature limited only to Office 365 subscription customers.
Although, the new decision is welcomed by many, handful of customers who previously paid for the productivity suite feel disappointed. To address their concerns, the Redmond giant has decided to offer pro-rated refunds to anyone who might be affected. The offer is valid for Home and Personal subscriptions to Office 365 only. There’s no word on Business subscription yet. It is likely that they will have to continue with the same subscription with no respite.
Coming back to refund query, the last date to apply for refunds is January 31 next year. Users who purchased the Office 365 subscription via App Store are advised to contact iTunes Store Support for their refunds, while those who made the purchase via Microsoft or a reseller can contact a Microsoft Accounts and Billing agent to request a refund. Microsoft says that the request process could take around 6-8 weeks to complete.
