I Pad3 does not support Microsoft Word, Excel or Power Point (as we all know)
But Dropbox does, so you can view these Microsoft applications by installing Dropbox on your I Pad3.
My question - is there any other way of viewing these Microsoft applications on your I Pad3?

You can purchase Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. These all offer the ability to open word, excel and PowerPoint although with obvious reduced functionality.

Just search for Microsoft Office Viewer.

There are a few ways.

CloudOn. Free and links directly to Dropbox and Google Drive. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/cloudon/id474025452?mt=8

So, it's not possible to actually edit and use office packages on the IPad.....all this hype and laptops and netbooks have one over on Apple!

The bully won't stop until other manufacturers are dead in the water. I think the savvy amongst us are staying with the likes of Windows.

People edit office files on iPads all the time. It's just that the official Microsoft Office isn't available for iPad. The alternatives can read/write Word, Excel and Powerpoint files.

Apple's own iWork apps:

Pages - Word processor app that can open and edit Word files

Numbers - Spreadsheet app that open and edit Excel files

Keynote - Presentation app that open and edit PowerPoint files


Also...

Quickoffice Pro HD - Full suite that can open and edit MS Office files. IIRC, it's now owned by Google.

The savvy amongst us will check what applications are available before making an informed decision.

The Surface will have office built in.

There are quite a few office compatible apps out there. Do a search on the iTunes store...

Yes have been using Cloud On with both my dropbox and gdrive accounts, its very good indeed. For free, its an amazing app for word, excel and powerpoint

Have also used Docs to Go in the past.

If its anything like the current office preview, which I believe has been designed for windows8, its UI is just W8 box mess to me, too many clicks/swipes back and forth. Just given up with it.

Many thanks indeed all - I have enough to go on

CloudOn is spot on and it's free.

Ok apple fan, what happens when you want to print anything

And even sharing a tablet as a "family tablet". On the Windows tablets, everyone can have their own user account customised with their own apps, settings, email accounts etc.

The iPad is designed as a one-person only device.

Office 2013 preview is pretty similar to 2007 and 2010, just flattened and whitened Ribbon UI.

Sorry to be a bore.
When I open a file in CloudOn, Word, Excel and Power Point are fine.
But photos which are in a JPG file (I think) (from my Dropbox) only show, say 40% and if I tap the screen bits of the photo 'hop' about.
In short, I don't get a proper view of the photo as I do in DropBox.
How can I correct this?
Nothing in CloudOn settings about size etc.
Thanks.

I don't need to print from my iPad, so its not an issue. If I did need to print then I would use AirPrint Activator and print via one of my networked PCs.

I've always said in my many posts on Apple, they do what I need but they are not suitable for everyone.

Why is munta an "Apple fan"? Why the attitude and the "rolleyes"?

You seem to be trying to move the goalposts and change the topic... Is this to distract people from your original biased and ignorant post?


Still, to answer the question you unnecessarily asked munta...If I need to print from my iPad, I just print directly to my HP Officejet Pro...

Just pinch to reduce the size, it does get streched when first viewing, once the jpg is in word, excel etc then you can use the normal tools on the image, as you would expect.

Thanks lettice, so nothing wrong with my IPad.

Use a printer like everyone else

With iPad you need an AirPrint capable printer and you have to do it over the air.

With a Windows tablet, you could plug in pretty much any modern printer to the USB port and just print.

That's not completely true. We have an old printer which is hooked up to our desktop computer. We print via wifi to that computer and it works from laptops or the iPad.