Have you ever been in a situation where you’re at the mall and your boss asks you to open and edit a file he just sent you? And he wants it ASAP? You stop in the middle of the mall rush and wonder how you’re going to do it without having to spend for an office suite app, just for that one file. Heaven knows your boss isn’t going to reimburse you for that app.
We know that most office suite apps for the iOS and Android are not free. Apps such as Documents To Go ($14.99) and QuickOffice Pro ($14.99) are a bit costly compared to other apps (yes, they might be cheaper than their PC versions, but compared to how much an average app costs, they turn out to be quite expensive.). And although there are free versions of these apps available for download, they have a view-only limitation.
If you just need an app that allows you do basic editing and typing on a Word or Excel file, then these free apps might just come in handy:
Kingoffice Pro
Pros
- Supports 23 kinds of files including the ones most commonly used, such as .doc/.docx/.xls/.xlsx/.ppt/.pptx, even PDF files.
- Able to access files offline (phone/tablet/external sdcard files) and online (Dropbox, Box andGoogle Drive).
- User-friendly interface.
Cons
- Only available for Android System (2.1 and above).
CloudOn
- Available for both Android OS and the iOS system.
- Tight integration with Dropbox, Box and Google Drive, so you can edit your files straight from these Cloud Services.
- Able to access files from within your email accounts.
- Has built-in Adobe Reader and File Viewer, that allow you to virtually view any type of file including PDF, jpg, etc.
Cons
- Although it is available for Android, it still has compatibility issues with some smartphones, such as Samsung Galaxy S3.
- You are required to have an account with CloudOn to be able to use its features. And though the registration is free, you would still need to sign in everytime you use it.
- Slow response time especially when editing spreadsheets and presentations.
OliveOffice Premium
Pros
- Able to access files offline (phone/tablet/external sdcard files) and online (Dropbox, Box andGoogle Drive, which is still represented as Google Docs within the app).
- Is compatible with most, if not all Android OS devices.
Cons
- The premium version is not yet available for the iOS. (The version currently available is the OliveOffice Basic, which has view-only capabilities)
- Although it is compatible with most Android devices, there have been reports of the app crashing, even when opening small-sized documents.
So there it is, just some of the free office suite app options available in the market for you to edit and view your documents, spreadsheets and presentations on your iOS and Android device/s. But of course, if you need more advanced features and functions for long-term usage, then you may consider getting a paid app instead.
For a list of free productivity software, please check out my previous post, Virtual Assistant Tools: The Essentials.
Do you have any software, apps or gadget you would like me to review? Or a particular techie topic you would want me to cover? Let me know. Feel free to contact me. or leave a comment or suggestions below 🙂
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