Microsoft reveals plans for a true touch-first Office Suite
Microsoft has recently released a PDF document outlining the company’s plans to develop a brand new, touch-first, ink-based Microsoft Office Suite.
The 162 pages PDF outlines very clear hints at what Microsoft Office might potentially look, and feel like in the future.
The screenshots appear to be part of an internal memo code-named “Gemini”, and describe the way the company believes pen-based interfaces are expected to work for users in the near future, on a range of Microsoft Windows touch devices.
It has been a while since the dawn of Windows 8, yet a truly touch-first experience for specific Microsoft application suites had yet to come. This document might appear a strange move from Microsoft, yet one has to speculate whether the increasing pressure from competitor platforms, especially Android and iOS, has forced Microsoft to turn up the heat on its developers.
Ironically, more than Apple or Samsung, a company which Microsoft might need to look out for is Wacom, a leader in touchscreen and ink technology, and the maker of time-tested products like the Cintiq tablet family. The Wacom Cintiq Companion is definitely an indication of how much work Microsoft needs to do in order to secure its future in the touchscreen landscape.
Luckily, Microsoft’s advantage is its legacy as a consumer brand, and its experience to market products that are not always required to be used in production settings. On the other side of the spectrum, Wacom’s target audience has always been the production industry, which makes it less recognizable by the common folks.
You can download the PDF document in its entirety, by clicking here.