It’s finally been confirmed by Microsoft Product Manager Petr Bobek that the tech giant will be releasing native iOS and Android versions of Office 2013 next year. At a press event held in the Czech Republic, Bobek told Czech online publication IHNED.cz that native apps are slated for release in March of 2013.

Microsoft’s flagship productivity suite, according to a statement from Microsoft via The Verge, “will be also available on other operating systems, Windows Phone, Windows RT, Mac OS, Android, iOS and Symbian.”

While there is no mention of price yet, Microsoft has scheduled Office 2013 availability for businesses in December while retail availability will be in February.

iOS and Android users can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The most popular, and arguably best, word processing suite will finally be coming to your tablet or smartphone. No more buying apps that don’t quite cut it and no more fiddling around with notepads. People will finally be able to use their devices for more than just internet surfing, decorating pages, and secretly reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

While there’s no doubt that adding Microsoft Office to iOS and Android is an added convenience, it makes me wonder about the future of actual computers and laptops. Weren’t efficient word-processing, spreadsheet-making, and power point-creating the only real differences between laptops and tablets? Obviously size differentiates the two devices, sure. But people don’t need the extra bulk, nor do they need large amounts memory and storage that the extra bulk usually affords. Cloud computing is to the point where basically any task can be completed from any place at any time and can be stored with unprecedented security, space, and recovery options.

So what do you think? Are you excited about Microsoft Office coming to iOs and Android? What impact do you think this will have on tablets, smartphones, and laptops? Does this essentially make laptops obsolete? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.