Hands-on with Microsoft Office preview for Android tablets (screenshot gallery)

A couple of days ago Microsoft announced expansion of the Office for Android preview so that anyone with a compatible Android tablet could download and use the application suite. As you can see in these screenshots, the preview version is quite powerful and rivals the best Android Office suites currently available.

ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley posted the release news and several readers commented that the applications have rudimentary functionality. These readers must not have tested the application suite for themselves since the functionality will likely meet the needs of most people and the UI is optimized for the touchscreen interface.

I previously posted an extensive Office Suite showdown for Android in 2011 and plan to update that article next week with the latest and greatest applications for Android.

Typical layout of Word in portrait orientation

Easily manage and insert different types of breaks in your document

Track changes is fully supported in Word on Android

Various color tables can be inserted, along with a number of other objects

A number of font colors are supported

Printing is supported via Google Cloud Print

Excel works in both portrait and landscape with a number of available formulas

The cell you are working in is easy to view and change

A large number of menu options are available in Excel for Android

Charts, pictures, tables, shapes, and more can be inserted

A large number of formulas are supported, including my favorite engineering ones

Table management is available from the Table menu item

Various templates are provided to get you started in PowerPoint

Directions are stated on the slides to help you create a new slideshow on your tablet

Ink support is provided in PowerPoint for Android

A number of transitions are also supported in PowerPoint for Android