Can the iPhone open and allow one to edit Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files?
Although both the New York Times and Engadget originally reported that the iPhone was to offer no support for Microsoft Office documents — Word, Excel, or PowerPoint — on June 22, 2007, Apple posted a Guided Tour which explicitly mentions that the iPhone allows one to read, but not edit, Microsoft Word and Excel files. As originally shipped on June 29, 2007, the iPhone was not able to read or edit PowerPoint files. However, on March 6, 2008, Apple announced that version 2.0 of the software — released July 11, 2008 — would be able to read PowerPoint files as well as Word and Excel. Although it received so little press that it took a reminder from the WSJ, Microsoft additionally plans to make “Microsoft Office Web Applications” that operate via a web browser compatible with the version of Safari used by the iPhone as well as other browsers. However, it is worth noting that this is not referring to native iPhone applications.
