How can I open Office 2007 files on my Windows Mobile Device? ~ Ask The Admin

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

How can I open Office 2007 files on my Windows Mobile Device?

It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of the new office 2007 interface and all that ribbon crap. We have showed you work-a-rounds but, I can not stand in the way of innovation. So when I over heard a conversation between two VP's in the hall outside of my dungeon I got involved...


"I would go to office 2007 so we can get this to work but my phone just won't open the new formats. "

"Why don't you ask Karl to take a look at it."

"Nah, it's o.k."

That was strange. Are they trying to blame their holdup on IT? I walked over and said "I can make your phone open those extensions. Give me your phone and I will bring it back to you when I come to upgrade your Office to 2007.

He looked surprised but handed me the phone and walked away.

Long story short I downloaded a patch installed office and I was the hero of the day. I can't wait to hear what they have to say at our board meeting today...

"The big project that was being held up by in-compatibility and inter-operable issues has been resolved in ten minutes by our resident Tech Genius..."

I know I'm dreaming it wil be more like "IT fixed the snags it had that was holding everything up. Let's think ahead next time..."



Apparently Microsoft realizes how hard the push for the new 2007 document types is going to be and seemingly released a free upgrade for Windows Mobile Devices with any installed office applications on it. It will allow for all the file types to be opened and edited on your hand held. Long story short here is the...



From Microsoft's Website:

What's new in Office Mobile 6.1? The ability to view Office 2007 documents. (eg. pptx, xlsx, docx). Other improvements include:


• Enhanced viewing experience for charts in Excel Mobile.
• Ability to view SmartArt in PowerPoint Mobile.
• Ability to view and extract files from compressed (.zip) folders.

Microsoft Office 2007 introduced new Open XML-based file formats for Office applications. These new file formats reduce file size, improve security and reliability, and enhance integration with external sources.



To allow Windows Mobile users to work with Office documents created in the Open XML formats, Microsoft has developed an upgrade for Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile applications. This upgrade to the Office Mobile applications allows viewing and editing of Word documents and Excel workbooks and viewing of PowerPoint slideshows created by using Microsoft Office 2007.

If your Windows Mobile device does not have a version of Microsoft Office Mobile prior to 6.1, you can purchase the full version of Microsoft Office Mobile.

The Office Mobile application suite includes Microsoft Office Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint® Mobile for Windows Mobile 6 powered devices, helping users manage and review documents. Microsoft Office Mobile includes support for rich reviewing and minor editing capabilities as well as support for rights-managed documents.

The primary user scenario enabled by Office Mobile is viewing e-mail attachments, performing minor edits, sharing document versions, and opening documents from an SD card or a SharePoint server. Office Mobile provides a high-fidelity document viewing experience, with capability to edit as well as fast performance in loading the first page of the document.

Note: This free upgrade works only for Windows Mobile powered devices that have an earlier version of Office Mobile. If your Windows Mobile powered device does not have Office Mobile applications, this upgrade will not work for you. You can purchase the full version of Office Mobile 6.1 online. For more information, click here. [Via MS]

So while I am on the prowl for the Windows 6.1 update for my Dopod C730 this is how get my compatibility on with the newer file types that all the kiddies are jumping into this days. Anyone got a Windows Mobile 6.1 Update Rom for me and my Dopod??

_TheWaitingPatientlyAdmiN_