14 DAY TRIAL // A developer whose entire portfolio could be ripped off has seen yet another one of its applications approved in the App Store. This time, it’s a piece of software that aims to trick users into thinking they’re downloading Microsoft Word for iOS.
At $9.99 (7.99 EUR) it’s safe to say this “solution” is an attempt to capitalize on the hype surrounding Microsoft Office for iPad. Redmond is working on it, but they still have to give us a solid launch date.
Developer Super Racing Real Games shamelessly named its application "Microsoft Word 2012", slapped an icon that looks virtually identical to the one from Microsoft, and put a hefty price tag to make sure at least some revenue will be generated by customers hitting “buy” before reading the description.
Spotted by Cult of Mac, the program does seem to be marketed more as a manual for MS Word beginners. However, it’s far from being an intuitive guide. The description reads:
“Every modern person some time or other is faced with Microsoft Office Word. However not everyone knows it to perfection! How quickly can you page numbering? How about adding and changing the page header? If takes more than a minute, this program is for you! Now you always have a list of tips which makes any Microsoft Office task easy and simple.”
Furthermore, the application was initially provided free of charge, in order to rack up downloads and climb the charts. Now that it’s done so, it’s no longer free.
All these are telltale signs that you’re not downloading what you were looking for, not to mention it’s got no Microsoft code in it whatsoever.
While the application itself may be legit, the title, the icon, and the way it’s being marketed seems extremely misleading. It’s probably best if you avoid it.
Not to mention that developer Super Racing Real Games has at least two more applications that try to capitalize on the popularity of other developers’ applications, such as Videogram Pro (Instagram knockoff) and F1 Birdie Driver (there's some Angry Birds feeling in that app’s icon).