Need the Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Office suite on your iPad? Rumor had it Tuesday that there could be an app for that coming shortly. The Daily cited unnamed sources claiming that the app would be sent in for Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) approval soon, and the news instantly raised eyebrows throughout the blogosphere.

According to The Daily, the user interface for Office for iPad is expected to have "hints of Metro," which is the design language that will be in the Windows 8 operating system. A photo that looked like Office running on an iPad was posted along with the story. It will be possible to create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents locally and online, but it remains unknown whether there will be support for other Office apps, according to the story.

Jacqui Cheng at Ars Technica pointed out that the photo posted at The Daily didn't seem to display branding from Mac BU, which she said would likely be involved in developing the app. What's more, it would be unusual for Apple to approve a three-in-one app. Cheng also questioned whether anyone actually needs an official Office for iPad:

"iOS users can view certain Office documents without the need for extra software, and there are already third-party apps that can edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. Should Microsoft use its resources on developing its own app for (seemingly) the same purpose?" she asked.

Also commenting on The Daily report, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley noted that if the news is true, Office for iPad could roll out well before Office for Windows 8 on ARM (WOA) tablets.

"What I found interesting in today's report is that The Daily's description of Office for iPad sounds a lot like Office 15 for WOA," Foley wrote, adding that Microsoft officials revealed recently that Windows 8 on ARM PCs and tablet computers would include the same four Office apps that allegedly will come with Office for iPad. "It's unclear what 'include' means here, and Microsoft officials aren't saying if these apps will be free, preinstalled, integrated into the OS or made available in some other ways."

Foley points out that analysts have questioned whether Microsoft would make Office for iPad because of pushback from the Windows unit. "Indeed, many see Office as one of the few competitive advantages that Microsoft has with the coming Windows 8 slates and tablets," she wrote. "But Microsoft management doesn't see things with Windows-colored glasses only any more. The Microsoft Business Division--home to Office--makes more money than Windows client does. And that unit has been dabbling with porting Office apps to non-Microsoft platforms for a while now."

Microsoft remained somewhat coy about whether Office for iPad is in the works, but confirmed that the photo run with The Daily story did not show an actual product.

For more:
- see Matt Hickey's post at The Daily
- see Jacqui Cheng's post at Ars Technica
- see Mary Jo Foley's post at ZDNet

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