Apps open doors to Office files
The sequel to the popular endless running game “was released last week, so you might be too busy trying to race to the undetermined end of it to get any real work done.
But if you need to use your mobile device for actual work — such as on Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents, there are applications that can help you, no matter the platform.The people from “recently asked me to look at their offering in the Business app category. It’s easy to use — you can create blank documents or choose from templates and format them, and it’s also easy to transfer files between your mobile device and computer without having to connect a cord.
The help/frequently asked questions section is extensive, too.
While I don’t use my iPad often to create documents because I find it easier to work on a computer, I would still recommend having the ability to work with documents installed on your device. If people send you documents in an email, you can use these apps to open and work with them. Or, you can use the app to create a presentation, document or spreadsheet if you’re not near your laptop.
Polaris, from Infraware Co., is $12.99 on the iTunes store and works with your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. It also is available on the Google Play store for Android devices and comes preinstalled on many of them.
In contrast, similar iTunes store apps by Apple — Pages for text documents, Numbers for spreadsheets and Keynote for presentations — will cost $9.99 each. Another one that I like, Documents to Go by DataViz, for both Apple and Android devices, has different prices, from $9.99 for the basic version to $16.99 for premium.
In promotional materials, Polaris notes its fast document loading speed compared with related apps and its ability to work with cloud storage services like Google Docs, and Dropbox. It also will let users view PDF files and open ZIP files.
Like the others I’ve tried, Polaris appears to be a good one to get your work done via mobile.
If you’d rather procrastinate by playing the latest game, download the free Temple Run 2 from Imangi Studios and run, jump and slide down zip lines as a monster chases you. The Android version is expected this week.