14 DAY TRIAL // On Monday, Redmond-based software giant Microsoft announced the release of its next-generation productivity suite, Office 2013.
Available in a preview flavor at the moment, the suite of applications was made available only for the owners of Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers.
Some of the features included in this release are expected to make it to the Windows Phone flavor of Office as well, but no other platform will receive it, it seems.
In fact, a Microsoft spokesperson has already confirmed that no Office for Mac 2013 release has been planned for the time being, though that doesn’t exclude the possibility that such an application might arrive.
"We haven’t announced the next release of Office for Mac," said Microsoft spokesperson reportedly told The Verge.
Office 2013 will arrive on devices with a brand new use interface, along with various performance improvements, and with a series of optimizations for use with the cloud.
To be more precise, the application can be used to save files directly into the cloud, while also packing a nice range of sharing and social networking capabilities.
One of the main features of Office 2013 is SkyDrive connectivity, which could arrive on Mac computers as well, though not through the full application.
Apparently, Microsoft is planning the release of an update to Office for Mac 2011, and will include support for cloud-based SkyDrive storage into the mix.
Users will be able to easily access SkyDrive or Office 365 to save and retrieve documents from the cloud. Moreover, The Verge notes that Office for Mac licenses can count towards an Office 365 Home Premium subscription.
No specific info on when the aforementioned update might be delivered has been provided for the time being, but users could expect it to land early next year, when the final flavor of Office 2013 will be released as well. The latest major update for Office for Mac 2011 landed in April this year.