Paging Mr. Fitz

[Hawkmoon]

What's the scoop on the Word Mobile app for Windows tablets?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/word-mobile/9wzdncrfjb9s?wa=wsignin1.0

The Microsoft web site says it allows creating and editing documents. I bought a Windows tablet, it has Word Mobile installed, and I can't create or edit anything. So I reinstalled (updated) the app, and I still can't create or edit. It says I have to have an Office 365 subscription in order to create or edit. What's the deal? Is my installation defective somehow, or is Microsoft doing a bait-n-switch by claiming that Word Mobile allows editing? The site says an Office 365 subscription is required for tablets 10.1 inches and larger -- mine is an 8-inch.

[Fitz]

More info. What model tablet?

[Hawkmoon]

NuVision TM800560L.

[Fitz]

apparently i'm seeing this is a common issue :-S

Word mobile not being editing enabled for <= 10.1 devices

I'll post to an internal company board and see if I can get some clarity tomorrow. busy as hell tonight.

[Fitz]

also, edition and version of windows? (type "winver" into a powershell or command prompt)

[Hawkmoon]

also, edition and version of windows? (type "winver" into a powershell or command prompt)

I think you're creeping up on the answer. It's only an 8-inch tablet (no keyboard, no folio case, JUST a tablet), but it has Windows 10 Home pre-installed, not Windows RT. And that makes me wonder if maybe Microsoft isn't really checking the size of the screen, but what the operating system is. Maybe they think this thing is a real computer?

[Regolith]

I think you're creeping up on the answer. It's only an 8-inch tablet (no keyboard, no folio case, JUST a tablet), but it has Windows 10 Home pre-installed, not Windows RT. And that makes me wonder if maybe Microsoft isn't really checking the size of the screen, but what the operating system is. Maybe they think this thing is a real computer?

Windows RT was part of the Windows 8 OS line, and got ditched ditched due to poor sales. They're coming out with a Win10 version of RT, but it isn't out yet.

[Fitz]

I think you're creeping up on the answer. It's only an 8-inch tablet (no keyboard, no folio case, JUST a tablet), but it has Windows 10 Home pre-installed, not Windows RT. And that makes me wonder if maybe Microsoft isn't really checking the size of the screen, but what the operating system is. Maybe they think this thing is a real computer?

Yeah, RT isn't supported anymore, but from what I can gather there are other nebulous "qualities" that make the app think that a device is a full blown computer. That's what i'm thinking, but in order to submit this on my internal side, i'll need the build and other similar relevant data. Can you snatch that for me?

[Hawkmoon]

... in order to submit this on my internal side, i'll need the build and other similar relevant data. Can you snatch that for me?

I'll try tomorrow. Gotta sleep now.

The tablet spent most of the afternoon installing a major update. Is that going to interfere with getting you the build info?

[Hawkmoon]

The command window isn't as easy to find as on my Windows 7 desktop, but I finally found it.

Windows 10 Home
Version 1607
OS Build 14393.0

Mind you, this is after yesterday's massive update. And I haven't tried Word Mobile or Excel Mobile since the update, because I had already uninstalled them. My plan is to use my third "seat" of an Office 2010 Home & Student 3-pack and put Word 2010 and Excel 2010 on the tablet. I hope it works, but it's upsetting that I have to use up a bought-and-paid license for the entire suite to get functionality that was supposed to be included in the purchase of the device.

[Fitz]

posted to some internal places. will update

[Hawkmoon]

posted to some internal places. will update

Thank you.

I found when researching the issue on the Internet that I am not even close to being along in experiencing this issue, and nobody seems to have found an answer. I checked the Microsoft on-line help system/forum, and the answers there were absolutely brainless. Some of the responses said something about "specifications," but that doesn't help. The problem is, if the determining factor is somehow related to "specifications," then Microsoft should not be saying that Word Mobile and Excel Mobile "will" work on tablets 10.1" and smaller -- because at this point pretty much the whole world knows that's not the case. But nobody seems to be able to cogently explain why that's not the case, or how to know in advance when buying a tablet whether or not the mobile versions of Office apps will function or not.

[Hawkmoon]

Doing some additional research. I wasn't aware that Windows RT started and ended with Windows 8.x. I guess the current near-equivalent is Windows 10 Mobile. So I'm going to guess that screen size isn't the real determiner (or not the only one). My guess is that ANY tablet running Windows 10 Home or Professional is not going to be able to use the free Office Mobile apps, because I think they're checking to see if Windows 10 Mobile is installed.

If that's the case -- why doesn't Microsoft just say so?

[Fitz]

no idea. it could be that the guidance for the app was created before some things changed? I have no idea.

Still waiting for some info