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Office Suite Applications

By Jesal ShethnaJesal Shethna

office suite applications

Office Suite Applications

We live in an era where we are surrounded by mobile phones all around us. They have become an integral part of our lives. Besides the innumerable purposes that a mobile phone performs, one important function of this wonder device is that it serves as your office on the go. Tools like the organizer, calculator, and memo pad act as great office assistants. Now, mobile phones can also be equipped with a complete office suite, which includes the word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation apps! Isn’t that amazing? Now, who wants to limit their business to a confined office when your Android device can do all the work for you. We will learn the different office suite applications.

There are plenty of such programs available in the market, and all seem to have similar features. But the truth is that they can be a sea apart. The key is to select the one that best meets your requirements.

Some of the most popular Office Suite Applications or Productivity management tools, as they are called, are Docs to Go; Google’s Docs, Sheets, and Slides; Office Suite 8, Polaris Office, and WPS Mobile Office. There are also word processing apps: Draft and Editorially.  Quick Office, which no longer exists, was also a popular choice before Google bought and did away with it.

So how can you choose the perfect Office Suite Applications? This article will give you a quick overview of each of these suites available on the Google Play Store so as to enable you to make a well-thought decision.  It covers each suite’s important features and talks about their user interface and experience, taking both tablets and smartphones into consideration.

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What are Software Office Suite Applications?

Just read through, and you will be ready to choose the ideal Office Suite Applications for your mobile phone by the end of it all.

1. Google Docs -Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Initially launched as a web browser-based application, Google Docs is now alive in its Android version. Docs, Sheets, and Slides offer great functionality and also allow you to open various document types. Thus, it is an ideal platform for all your basic office needs, such as composing documents, creating spreadsheets, and simple presentations that can be played either on your mobile phone or a PC with a web connection.

google docs office suite

Strengths

  1. Talking of its advantages, Google Docs gets full points for its great features that easily collaborate across platforms such as Word, OpenOffice, RTF, PDF, HTML, or zip file and enable you to download a Google document to your PC.
  2. Documents, spreadsheets, and presentations can be accessed easily from any desktop or PC.
  3. You can create documents in real-time.
  4. Your work is automatically saved to Google Drive, which means there are no chances of losing your precious files.
  5. The app is free of cost.

Limitations

  1. When disconnected from the web, it has limited use.
  2. It does not perform very well on tablets and smartphones.

2. Microsoft Office

We all are used to MS Office suite applications on our desktops. So much so that it is very difficult to get accustomed to any other office suite applications, despite the innumerable alternatives that are available. The main reason for this loyalty is that most businesses, governments, and organizations have systems standardized on MS Office.

The good news is that MS Office does have an Android version for smartphones. With Microsoft Office Suite Applications on your mobile phone, you will not feel the discomfort of being away from your office PC if you have to attend to an urgent operation.

office suite

Strengths

  1. The biggest advantage of MS Office remains its ability to synchronize with inbuilt desktop office suite applications on your desktop/ Laptop computer.
  2. You can open files saved to OneDrive or SharePoint on your mobile phone.
  3. You can mark your location in a document. So the next time you open it, resume from where you left.
  4. You just require to signup for a free Microsoft account to start using the app for light use.
  5. The app is free of cost.

Limitations

  1. MS Office on Android is still in its growing years; hence editing is not a cakewalk. In fact, almost all other office suite applications have better editing options than MS Office.
  2. To open files on a PC or desktop, you need to subscribe to Office 365. Therefore it cannot be used as the main program that takes care of all your business needs.
  3. It is not possible to install it on tablets, limiting access.

Due to these limitations, Microsoft Office is becoming less popular on mobile devices.

3. Office Suite 8 by Mobile System

Developed by Mobile System, It is definitely the no. 1 office suite software for android mobile phones for individuals who require a mobile version of the customary office suite software. The recent version, which is far ahead of its predecessors, wins accolades from users for visual appeal and ease of use.

Improving drastically from before, the current version, available in the Play Store, has a ribbon-style interface, due to which you can easily pass it as Microsoft office.

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Strengths

  1. Office Suite 8 comes in more than 50 languages.
  2. It is so versatile that it can support various different formats and can load files from several cloud storage providers.
  3. It is a free application. However, one can purchase the premium subscription to benefit from a host of other features such as printing, removing ads, converting .doc files to pdf, etc.  The cost of a subscription is very nominal- $ 1.99per month or $ 9.99 for a year.
  4. Office Suite 8 has collaborated with various hardware manufacturers and hence is pre-installed on many mobile devices.
  5. You can mark your location in a document. So the next time you open it, resume from where you left.

4. Polaris Office by Infraware

Polaris Office by Infraware is extremely eye-catching and yet does not look like a Microsoft Office replica as most of its counterparts do. The Interface coordinates well with that of Android.

On downloading first, you need to sign-up with Polaris. The cloud-based app has various online services, such as editing, which enhance its functionality. The app has great features and has tools that allow you to format text as well as insert graphics, tables, etc. It also offers support for the longer screen of the iPhone 5s.

It can be downloaded for free, but you can buy the premium package at just for $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year to get access to other wonderful features and services.

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Strengths

  1. Provides a wide selection of cloud storage services, including Box.net, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.
  2. Edits Microsoft Officefile formats (doc/docx, hwp, ppt/pptx, txt, xls/xlsx) .
  3. It allows you to view PDF Files.
  4.  You can connect it to Chromecast to view documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, eliminating the need to use VGA or HDMI ports.
  5. Upload and download documents from your personal computer to your mobile phone or tablet with its agent program.
  6. Available in all major languages.

Polaris appears to be a perfect office suite software in almost every sense. However, we can point out the following limitations:

Limitations

  1. Comments do not appear readily. You need to turn the feature on in order to view comments.

5. Docs To Go by DataViz

Docs To Go by DataViz, earlier known as  Documents To Go, is one of the oldest office suite software. Before being one of the leading office suite software for Android and iOS, it was seen as an office companion for  Palm OS, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry OS.

The current version of Docs to Go 4.0 is much improved from its earlier versions and is visually more appealing. It supports some amazing advanced word processing and spreadsheet features and can also coordinate with cloud storage accounts such as Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box.

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Strengths

  1. You can view and edit your documents.
  2. You can view and sync your desktop file via Wi-Fi.
  3. You can also open password-protected files.
  4. You can select to download Android or iPad & iPhone versions.
  5. You can upload multiple files at a given time from the cloud.

Limitations

  1. The User Interface is not in complete unison with Android.
  2. Ads can be very disturbing and breathe the flow of your work.
  3. Most of the key features such as cloud storage access, opening password-protected files and removing ads are not available in the free version and can only be used if you buy a premium package, which at $14.99, is way costlier than other office suite software.

6. WPS Office by Kingsoft

An Office Suite Program with an attractive and contemporary interface inspired by MS Office that instantly puts you at ease.  WPS Office can be rated the best and feature-packed Office Suite Programs that are available for free download.

It contains a large number of fonts and templates and supports all major languages. It has a file roaming feature that enables you to create or share documents on any device. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Office and is also available in the iOS version.

WPS is an acronym for Writer, Presentation, and Spreadsheets

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Strengths

  1. It supports wireless printing.
  2. WPS Office comes in more than 40 languages.
  3. You can load and save files to other cloud storage and can also open documents from different local sources.
  4. There are no ads to interrupt you.
  5. It is absolutely free. There are no in-app purchases.

7. Zoho Docs

We all know that when we use Google or Microsoft services, we allow them the right to use our information. While working on Google docs or offices, this can be a major cause for concern. Zoho Docs is the ultimate solution to user-friendliness and the security of your documents.

Zoho Docs is capable of managing various types of documents. The files created in Zoho will automatically be saved in your Zoho account, which can later be accessed from any web browser. You can share your documents with friends and colleagues who are on Zoho.

Thus, this is a mobile as well as a web productivity tool.

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Strengths

  1. Download files stored on your Zoho account and save them on your PC or desktop. And use them offline.
  2. The service is free for users; however, you can access advanced features by buying a nominal monthly plan at $5 or $8.

8. Quip

Another Mobile cum web productivity tool is the quip. Its unique feature is its ability to create documents and spreadsheets as a group and edit them collectively. Thus, it acts as a great internal tool for a team. You can highlight portions of text and add comments to facilitate coordination with other group members.

Designed ideally for mobile devices, you can access the app through the web on both Android and iOS platforms.

Strengths

  1. Being a web-based app, it can be used on mobile devices as well as desktops. So, you can pick up your work from where you left, irrespective of the device you have in hand.
  2. It has standalone chat rooms that help us to collaborate on our work. It is unique in that sense.
  3. Text can automatically adjust to various screen sizes.
  4. It is free of cost for smaller groups, but one has to buy a subscription for large enterprises.

Limitations

  1. It is unable to manage formats that are created from other sources.
  2. The presentations on quip can be a disappointment.

Conclusion

Besides the above Office Suite Programs used by a major chunk of mobile users, there are others such as Evernote, ThinkFree Mobile, an option that really emphasises its appearance. OliveOffice, Office 365, iWork serve the varied needs of users.

So, mobile users have a wide choice when it comes to choosing appropriate office suite programs. Keep your exact requirement in mind while making a choice to get the optimum out of your office suite programs. Is it the visual appeal or the functionality, the compatibility or accessibility; is the word processing your basic need or working on spreadsheets; you want to work online or offline? All these factors will determine the office suite programs that will eventually find the place on your mobile phone.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to a quick overview of each of these Office Suite Applications available on the Play Store to enable you to make a decision. These are the following external link related to office suite applications.

  1. Applications Software Developer
  2. Microsoft Office 2016
  3. Microsoft Office Application
  4. Excel Skills
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