We tested them with an eye toward usability, cloud support, and faithfulness to Office file formats (the last of which disqualified Apple’s iWorks right out of the gate). While no third-party suite can fully replicate the real deal, these four came closest. The good news is that the lengthy wait for an official Office solution for the iPad gave rise to several capable all-in-one office apps that cost little to nothing, many of which are still available. The elation over the promise of true tablet productivity muted by the realization that the apps were little more than document viewers without an Office 365 subscription. When Office for iPad arrived last month, it was a bittersweet moment.
