Microsoft Launches Office 365 Subscriptions Alongside Office 2013, But Macs Still Stuck on Office 2011

[HenryDJP]

Originally Posted by zoetmb

What!!??? Why? It's virtually the same as the Windows version (except for Macro support).

Mac Office 2011 has full VB Macro support.

[MTL18]

Big whoop.

Wouldn't spend 100 dollars to upgrade from Office '08. Software doesn't need to always be the latest and greatest - if it still works, leave it.

[Cynicalone]

Originally Posted by Stella

Microsoft should release Office on microsoft tablets while forgoing the iPad. Office on windows 8 for mobile devices would encourage businesses back to microsoft platform and away from Apple.

This is the problem with the thinking at Microsoft under Ballmer.

Microsoft is a software company. The iPad is a software platform that could be making them millions. iPad/iOS sales could easily surpass Mac sales for Microsoft.

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by Tankmaze

So microsoft is also abandoning dvd distribution.... Cool

No they aren't. They will still sell you a hard copy.

[StoneJack]

Originally Posted by Cynicalone

This is the problem with the thinking at Microsoft under Ballmer.

Microsoft is a software company. The iPad is a software platform that could be making them millions. iPad/iOS sales could easily surpass Mac sales for Microsoft.

They are keeping Office for tablets for their Surface RT (ARM) tablets.
Office for Surface RT doesn't have even Outlook or any other native email clients.
They keeping it for Surface Pro.

All of this is a big mistake, while an understandable try to leverage Office for selling Windows platform.
But that just makes Office obsolete day by day.

[deconstruct60]

Originally Posted by hayesk

I agree. They could be making millions.

If Microsoft can make Windows RT (which comes with a bundled, so price included, version Office ) work they will make millions more.

Between the two it is a better bet. In the Apple App store it couldn't be "Office". They'd had to debundle the applications. That dilutes much of the leverage that Office (a bundled suite) has. The iOS App store is a "race to the bottom" application space. They could make some money there but it more likely would negatively impact Office pricing elsewhere also. That would be a net loss of millions.

[Macrolido]

Office 2011 is ok for me, I don´t use Windows since 2009.

[Saladinos]

I don't think this is terribly bad in theory. Things like the Skype minutes every month could make it appealing.

That said, the price is just too high. Regular home users don't need a new version of Office enough to pay $100 a year for it.

The biggest problem with Office has always been that it has too many features. The reason they did the whole ribbon redesign for 2007 was that 7/8 of the top 10 requested features were actually already in Office 2003 - people just didn't know how to get to it or use it!

While I liked the original ribbon design, lots of people didn't. They've since borked it out in to something worse, and at the same time gone back to that horrible fascination they have with Neptune-era "Activity Center" panels:

[HenryDJP]

Originally Posted by Stella

Microsoft should release Office on microsoft tablets while forgoing the iPad. Office on windows 8 for mobile devices would encourage businesses back to microsoft platform and away from Apple.

And this type of post brings me closer to understanding this MR is no longer a place for Apple enthusiasts, just a dumping ground for Apple haters to enjoy.

[Hastings101]

Office 2011 was an awesome update that made the Mac version of Office decent. I can live without 2013.

[JackieTreehorn]

So will it work on February 29th, then?

[barkomatic]

Microsoft just slaughtered its cash cow for a few juicy steaks. No more milk.

[camnchar]

Originally Posted by mslide

Who cares? I mean, why would someone upgrade their version of Office assuming it's from the past 10 years or so?

I'm surprised Microsoft even bothers.

Office and Windows are their cash cows.

[newyorksole]

The boxes for Office 2011 for Mac say that you can get a free upgrade to the next version.

Therefore, the 2013 edition is coming soon.

Microsoft also sells boxes at Apple now that don't come with CDs.

[tubular]

I can't complain about Microsoft Windows being a few years behind if Apple is still on Pages '09, Numbers '09, Keynote '09.

Are we really going to go five years without a real upgrade, Apple? Did you reassign all your OSX apps coders, or what?

[JHankwitz]

Originally Posted by spazzcat

A bigger issue is people use Excel as a database. Its not a database!

Using Excel as a database is so much easier than using Access as a database. But FileMaker is far easier to use than Excel.

[tlinford]

Originally Posted by Stella

You still get the option to buy Office outright, but you don't get any of the extras such as extra Skydrive space, skype minutes, or future updates ( only point updates ).

If you use Office on a regular basis then the $99 subscription fee could be good value. Otherwise you'll probably better off using something else, or buy the software outright as before.

I wonder if the single payment option is transitory, until they get enough of a customer base, then ditch it?

I think Microsoft is way off pitch here?

[Stella]

Originally Posted by Cynicalone

This is the problem with the thinking at Microsoft under Ballmer.

Microsoft is a software company. The iPad is a software platform that could be making them millions. iPad/iOS sales could easily surpass Mac sales for Microsoft.

Microsoft would make far more money if customers started buying Surface instead of iPad. More income through hardware and more income through software. Microsoft would be making more than mere 'millions'.

Business customer is the more stable cash cow than consumers. Get them locked in to your own mobile hardware and software ( again ).

Originally Posted by tlinford

I wonder if the single payment option is transitory, until they get enough of a customer base, then ditch it?

Probably, in the longer term. Subscription software is the future. People won't be buying software outright forever. Software will be seen as a [subscription] service - and subscriptions also reduces piracy - makes it more difficult to hack.

[Nungster]

Originally Posted by spazzcat

A bigger issue is people use Excel as a database. Its not a database!

Amen brother!

"Power users" of Excel should Power Learn some scripting and dbase

[Tankmaze]

Originally Posted by samcraig

No they aren't. They will still sell you a hard copy.

Well this is from the verge

However, there's a big change this time: in the US, UK, and other developed markets, those boxed copies won't include a DVD of the software. Microsoft is simply boxing up product codes in familiar packaging for Office 2013 and Office 365, allowing users to go online to download the software. Some emerging markets will still offer DVD versions, but the majority of users will be downloading Office this time around.

[jms969]

Originally Posted by BornAgainMac

Open Office is Open Ugly though.

LibreOffice is a much much better solution than OpenOffice. LO Ver. 4.0 will be shipping in a few days and they made dramatic leaps ahead of OO.

[KdParker]

Originally Posted by Badandy

Anyone who thinks iWork or any other office replacement is a viable alternative to MS Office simply isn't a power user of excel. That doesn't absolve MS of responsibility though, since the Mac version of Excel is awful.

MS is smart in this case. They know Excel is essentially required in business and keep the Mac version bad enough that people won't switch.

Unless you use excel heavily, what else does office really offer?

[JarScott]

Nearly £100 a year is nowhere near being reasonable for any amount of Microsoft software. The use of Word and Excel or whatever is not worth that and I doubt home users would pay that.

[1Alec1]

Originally Posted by paulsdenton

It's been all downhill from Office 2003 anyway. No loss.

No, '04 is just '03 but a little better and with more clipart.

----------

Originally Posted by Badandy

Anyone who thinks iWork or any other office replacement is a viable alternative to MS Office simply isn't a power user of excel. That doesn't absolve MS of responsibility though, since the Mac version of Excel is awful.

MS is smart in this case. They know Excel is essentially required in business and keep the Mac version bad enough that people won't switch.

How is the Mac version of Excel worse? They're the same thing.
Also, Pages is better than Word, Keynote MUCH better than PP, and Numbers much worse than Excel. I just use iWork and Excel.

[RedCroissant]

Originally Posted by Badandy

Anyone who thinks iWork or any other office replacement is a viable alternative to MS Office simply isn't a power user of excel. That doesn't absolve MS of responsibility though, since the Mac version of Excel is awful.

MS is smart in this case. They know Excel is essentially required in business and keep the Mac version bad enough that people won't switch.

I would disagree with you since combining Numbers and LibreOffice I have been able to do everything that I have ever done with Microsoft and have saved money in the process.

And the question I have here is why is it necessary to purchase Office anymore when there are not only other alternatives, but also just signing up for a free outlook.com account gets you access to SkyDrive and the ability to create a spreadsheet, word document, powerpoint presentation, or use one note? Sure, they're web apps, but you can save them to the cloud or even download them to your computer and open them with other apps. I even create documents in LibreOffice and can upload those to SkyDrive and the formatting is not changed.