<p>SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft is selling a retooled version of its Office software to consumers as an online subscription service for the first time in an attempt to extend one of the company's key franchises beyond personal computers.</p><p>Tuesday's release comes six months after Microsoft previewed the new-look Office, which includes popular word processing, spreadsheets and email programs.</p><p>"This is a fundamental shift in our business that began a several years ago," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wrote in a blog post.</p><p>The revamped Office boasts touch controls, just like the redesigned version of the Windows operating system that Microsoft released three months ago. The company, which is based in Redmond,</p><p><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22472474/retooled-microsoft-office-touchscreens-launches-but-not-apple">Keep reading...</a></p>