14 DAY TRIAL // A Microsoft official said in a statement that the company is ‘looking at’ bringing Office to Apple’s Mac App Store, but didn’t necessarily confirm actual plans to do so.
According to Microsoft’s Amanda Lefebvre who had a chat with the folks at AllThingsD, “It’s something we [at Microsoft] are looking at.”
And why would Microsoft rush to deploy Office for Mac in Apple’s walled garden, when it has just begun offering a free, 30-day trial version of the suite?
This free version of Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac couldn’t have made the Mac App Store, with Apple specifically noting in December 2010 that demos and trials are not to be had.
Moreover, Microsoft is already selling the software in multiple locations around the web, as well as through retail outlets worldwide.
Even though it competes with Apple’s iWork on the Mac, Apple fans can only buy iWork from Apple. If they want Office, they’ll be able to grab it rapidly and conveniently wherever they may be.
“It’s something we haven’t ruled out,” Lefebvre added, referring to the addition of Office to Apple’s Mac App Store listings. “We just have to see how that relates to our business,” she added.
One could speculate that Microsoft, should it decide to ultimately launch Office in Apple’s Mac App Store, could adopt the same distribution system as Apple’s - divide the suite into its individual applications, and sell them separately.
It’s a stretch, but perhaps it’s worth trying out to boost sales.
In any case, Softpedia readers should well know by now that Office 2011 for Mac is currently available as a free download from this link.
The software runs in trial mode for 30 days with all features enabled.
To be able to use Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 in trial mode, users must fill out a form with their name and email address, the country they live in, as well as the purpose of usage.