Picsel, a UK based mobile solutions company, have recently launched version 2.0 of Smart Office for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Smart Office is an app that allows you create, edit, print and also share Microsoft Office documents on your BlackBerry PlayBook. The latest update brings about a new Dashboard and improvements to the Document Info Views.
Other features of Smart Office 2 are:
- Save As PDF: Save office document in PDF format to your device.
- Timeline View: A unique view of your recent documents in date order. Document thumbnails are displayed with meta data.
- Document Info View: See important meta data, quick launch documents at any page and quick actions such as Copy, Rename and Delete.
- Cloud File Access: Download your files directly from Dropbox and Google Docs.
- Fully Featured Editing Suite: Smart Office 2 offers many new editing and view improvements.
- Load files, edit and send back while you're out of the office or in a meeting.
- Create new documents from scratch. SmartOffice is the only office application that allows you to create documents using a FREE set of preloaded templates.
- Smart Office is intelligent, it adapts to the device with UI included in the application developed to know whether the user is utilising a Tablet or Smartphone.
At the same time Picsel have launched a free version called Smart Office Lite, which essentially acts as document viewer. You're still able to view files via DropBox and Google Docs however you cannot make save any edits you make.
If you're looking for an alternative office suite check out Smart Office 2 or Smart Office Lite from Picsel. See it in action on the PlayBook below. The Lite version can be found in App World. If you want to get the full version you can upgrade from with the app. Keep reading for a quick info or to download.
For more informtion / download Smart Office Lite from App World
Reader comments
Smart Office 2 and Smart Office Lite make their way to the BlackBerry PlayBook
What is the print feature?
The video looked good but the keyboard didn't seem to have the predictive text/autocorrect autocorrect is essential.
I downloaded the lite version from Appworld. Looked around to see if I could setup my printer, tapped on the support icon on the dashboard & there was a "setting up printer on a RIM PlayBook" button. Tapped that one and it said the print & email functions don't work on the PlayBook yet. It also advises you to ask RIM for a refund if you are unhappy with not being able to print "yet". I think I'll wait a while before I upgrade to the paid version. Seems like a nice editing tool though, a little hard to get used to as some of the commands are different from what I'm used to.
That looks awesome...
Would be nice if the Licensing problem was sorted out......
Is it an Android app or native PlayBook code?
It's native playbook app
im gonna try it... i usually edit .xls files on my pb, and i always get an error when im trying to save it... hope this work properly..
Gorgeous Ui
Those are some really cool interfaces.
Just an FYI: Smart Office 2 - the main app - was pulled from App World yesterday. Only the lite version is now available.
This may have something to do with the fact that people are buying the app but not receiving their license code to run the app - see the complaints in the forums for more information.
I also get a license error from time to time in AppWorld but the apps still work fine for me, including SmartOffice.
This app doesn't support the Blackberry Mini keyboard or the phone remote feature unfortunately. You can type, but you can't maneuver the cursor without touching the screen.
Has anyone tried to edit an excel file with drop down menus?
If you mean drop down combo boxes, no. I tested it out with that and list boxes and it doesn't support them. Too bad cause I would have gladly paid for the full version if it did.
Not sure why the article lists "full featured" if it can't do that.
Does anyone know how this compares to Documents to Go?
I've used both Smart Office and Docs to Go fairly extensively for the last week now, and both have their weak points (and also a couple of strong points each).
SMART OFFICE
Strong points: embedded images and text boxes show up in word documents as they would in MS Word. In Powerpoint you can move objects around (as well as edit text). And you can save to PDF
Weak point: the user interface is really frustrating to work with on a 7" screen. The top menu's in Docs to Go are way more functional... No formula support in Excel. No predictive text. You cannot MOVE or CREATE text boxes in powerpoint, making the ability to move images around of very limited utility. And also, after major edits, my files get corrupted so that they can't be used by MS Word, or any other program than SmartOffice.
DOCS TO GO
Strong Points: Pretty much fully functional, and very user friendly for editing. The top menus and ability to reflow text are really useful for on-the-go editing. Formula support in Excel. I have never had a compatibility problem with a file saved from Docs to Go.
Weak points: It would be nice to have a print preview feature like SmartOffice where you can see all embedded objects and check formatting. DOCS to Go is really inconsistent about when there to will agree to OPEN A file. They always open in SmartOffice, but with Docs to Go I find it's a crappie shoot.
So in summary, I prefer Docs to Go, but end up Using SmartOffice more (because it opens files) and end up really frustrated with both. Is it too much to ask for a FUNCTIONAL document editor 11.5 months into the life of the PlayBook.... Oddly I end up remembering fondly the days of OS1, When Docs to Go did less, but actually opened all files you threw at it....
Anyone tried showing a Power Point presentation with imbedded sound, and did the sound work??
This is much better than Documents to Go in my opinion, plus the PDF aspect of it is much, much better.
While I love that CrackBerry blogs about apps all the time, I wish it was a lot closer to the release of the app because it's 2 weeks worth of potentially greater sales (if we want to prove to devs that the PlayBook is a great platform to support), and 2 weeks of people dealing with Docs to Go BS that could've been avoided by using Smart Office 2...
So to sum it all up: This app handles PDFs GREAT, much better/faster than Docs to Go, and apps should be blogged about much sooner than 2 weeks after the release date. Just my $.02 of course!!
Much better but the light has a yellow shade so you cant see the whole page.
Also you can see pictures embedded in a excel spreadsheet,try that with Documents to Go.
Wonder when they will have it back in the Appworld.
This is a big "BS" app. Lite let's us to view only part of the document. I better stick to native Docs to go. UI looks great but to test it out, it's just frustrating and I hope some day soon "Docs to Go" will come up with better UI to entice users with great features. I'll wait for it from "DataViz". I hope they are listening.
Saying this app is BS is a very bold (and not in a "BE BOLD" good-type of way) statement. This is worth the money just for the better PDF support.
Well I bought it on Friday. It never downloaded but yet charged my Paypal. I emailed them but all they did was send a generic email.
I had to go through hoops and 1/2 hour worth of phone time to get a refund.
When I tried to download it again today I get a "The application you requested in no longer available"
I just wish they had the full version for trial for a couple of days, instead of (or in addition to) the lite version.
No printing option available for playbookers :(
The interface is annoyingly cartoon-like and not very well suited for convincing business users that it is business-like
The icons mean nothing without some text underneath to say what they do. I've given up using it completely. I paid only 0.75 CAN for it. But seeing that I never use it at all, even this was a waste.
And the Playbook's predictive keyboard doesn't work for me. Without a predictive keyboard, the app is useless. I just use Doc-to-Go. Nothing seems better. I hope Picsel can seriously redesign the interface and release an update.
Good