If you've been missing Microsoft's Office suite on the iPad, you don't have to worry anymore because the company has released Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the iPad.
Instead of a quick port of the iPhone version, Office for iPad are a trio of apps designed specifically for use on the iPad.
It's important to know that to create and edit documents, an Office 365 subscription is required. The free versions can only view or present Office documents.
The presentation creator
Microsoft PowerPoint for iPad has always been a go-to presentation creator. While there are more powerful tools now on desktop, mobile has been lacking. PowerPoint for iPad has been developed to work with the touch controls of the iPad and it works.
The app is a bit simplified compared to the desktop app, but it does allow you to create well designed presentation from one of the existing templates. You can also import photos from the Camera Roll which make the iPad a last ditch media recorder as well.
One of the highlighted features is that you can press the screen and get a laser dot come up for presentations. There is also a marker where you can annotate on slides in the slide show. Since PowerPoint is a visual tool, there aren't as many options compared to the desktop, but has all the necessary tools included in the app like tables or transitions from slide to slide.
A very patient person could make an incredible presentation through PowerPoint for iPad, but it's also possible to create that last minute project through the app if you have all the photos required on the device.
All the basic tools are available
PowerPoint for iPad doesn't have the power of a desktop with multiple apps. But if you're looking to create a good looking presentation inside one app, then it's a great app to use. As a free app, being able to view presentations is a good tool, but like the other Office for iPad apps, the Office 365 subscription is required for creating and editing presentations.
The simplified design intelligently switches from tab to tab depending on what you're working on and the OneDrive support means that you can work on the presentation on the desktop and add the final touches in the app and sync it.
It's not the strongest productivity app in the Office suite, but serves its purpose well when required.
What's new in Powerpoint for iPad
Printing is finally available for Powerpoint through an AirPrint printer. A SmartGuide feature helps you align objects as you move them around your slides. There's also increased support for secondary displays while presenting.
Works as a viewer
Without a Office 365 subscription, PowerPoint for iPad only works as a viewer. But this limitation may be all you need as a free app. If you regularly create presentations with the app, then you will need the subscription.
It's not as robust as Word for iPad or Excel for iPad, but there is still a need to a presentation creator. The problem is that with PowerPoint, locking out the creation tools makes less sense because of the purpose of the app.
Download Microsoft PowerPoint for iPad 1.1.3 in