Next-gen Microsoft Office code-named ‘Gemini,’ comes with modern UI apps

By Mariella Moon March 28, 2013

Will Microsoft Office 2013 Steve Ballmer

Microsoft isn’t just working on a follow-up operating system to Windows 8; according to ZDNet’s Mary Joe Foley, it’s also working on next-gen Office apps that would follow the Windows Blue-like model of frequent updates. However, the company doesn’t refer to it as Office Blue to go along with Windows Blue; instead, it’s internally known as “Gemini.” A follow-up to Office’s latest iteration, Foley’s sources say that the Gemini team has a strategy it means to follow over the course of two years – the first part of which is releasing new Office apps sometime this fall or around Windows Blue’s launch.

Details are scarce, since this is leaked information, but Foley believes the new apps are probably modern UI versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. So far, from among the whole Office suite of apps, only OneNote and Lync have full modern UI versions. It’s also possible that the new Gemini apps will be improved to work better with touchscreen devices than their present iterations. Foley says the second part of the strategy revolves around Office 365, so it most likely has something to do with the ability to get platform-independent Office apps via Microsoft’s subscription service. The Gemini team is also reportedly aiming to release updates and new features more frequently when the apps become available.

We’re hoping to hear more about the next-generation Microsoft Office at BUILD 2013 in June, so stay tuned.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…

Computing

Why I still use Microsoft’s Office suite instead of Google’s free options

Computer user touching on Microsoft word icon to open the program.

You can find all sorts of comparisons if you search the internet for Microsoft Office versus Google apps. And these side-by-side comparisons are helpful if you’re deciding between the two productivity suites. If it comes to cost, many simply find Google’s free apps like Docs, Sheets, and Slides the obvious choice.

But if you’re like me and use these types of applications many, many times per day, or even for running a small business, you have to look at more than the price tag.

Computing

What is Microsoft DirectStorage? Next-gen game loading, explained

A close-up of the Western Digital SN850 SSD.

Although games certainly benefit from high-speed storage devices like SSDs, diminishing returns kick in pretty quickly; It's hard to tell the difference between an old SATA SSD and a cutting edge PCIe Gen 4 SSD in most games. In order to take advantage of increasingly faster SSDs like never before, Microsoft launched DirectStorage for the Xbox Series X, and now DirectStorage is making its way to PC.

While DirectStorage is certainly exciting for game developers, what it means for gamers isn't quite as exciting, at least not at the moment.
What is DirectStorage?

Computing

This Microsoft app could help you spice up your desktop

Two windows laptops sit on a wooden table.

If you're looking to spice up your Windows desktop in a new way, then you might want to keep an eye out for an item that may be coming from Microsoft soon. Reportedly in the works is an app that can help you create animated backgrounds with custom effects for Xbox consoles, as well as Windows PCs.

First teased as an "unknown project" by the well-known Microsoft leaker Aggiornamenti Lumia a few months ago, it looks as though the leaker has finally managed to reveal what Microsoft was working on. Aggiornamenti Lumia now believes that the project is the Xbox Dynamic Backgrounds Editor app, showcasing it partly in action.