Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Microsoft Launches 'Office 365 Personal' Plan for One Mac and One iPad at $69/Year

Michael Goff said:
They'd likely price it the same as the normal one, since it is full Office. People around here said they'd pay "full Office for Home" price one time.



If you're expecting them to charge the weak price that Apple used to charge, I have a second bridge (if the guy buys the first) to sell you.
Click to expand...


It's not full office. It's the same as the iWork suite on iOS. People want the option to pay a one off, reasonable fee for the app on iOS. You're obviously misquoting or misunderstanding what people say, probably deliberately just to be obtuse.

Apples price was not a weak price, it was a reasonable one for the device it's being used on. You're using blatantly unrealistic and unreasonable prices just so you can shout down any logical and sensible debate.
 
imacken said:
I frankly cannot believe the fuss here over getting:
1) always the latest versions of Office for Mac (2014 confirmed as coming this year)
2) useful OneDrive space
3) excellent Office apps for iPad.
And how much does it cost? £5.50 per month for 5 desktop users and 5 tablet users. (£65 from Amazon)
It's less than the price of a beer in Pizza Express! I know which I would rather have, an extra beer per month or a sub for all my family to Office for Mac and iPad!
Click to expand...

But come on, that's a beer every month.

Espeonia said:
Then they get a bit of revenue and… then what? They provide you updates for the rest of your life? If they put out an entirely new app, then people will get mad over how they already bought the app once and now they have to pay for it again, while also expecting support and updates for their app when they no longer pay.

All software has a lifespan. If it's on a subscription, you get the newest, shiny thing when it's out for a higher gross cost, compared against if you bought Office once, or a lower gross cost, if you buy Office every 3 years. Either way you're paying for the support of that software, just with a subscription, it's always the newest.
Click to expand...

Also, you're getting it for less as a subscription.

The problem is really app store economics, as well as Apple giving iWork away for free. The combination means people assume software should either be dirt cheap or free, regardless of who makes it.

----------
shandyman said:
It's not full office. It's the same as the iWork suite on iOS. People want the option to pay a one off, reasonable fee for the app on iOS. You're obviously misquoting or misunderstanding what people say, probably deliberately just to be obtuse.

Apples price was not a weak price, it was a reasonable one for the device it's being used on. You're using blatantly unrealistic and unreasonable prices just so you can shout down any logical and sensible debate.
Click to expand...

No, it's not the "same as iWork on iOS".

Where did you get that information?

----------
SlyMac said:
Man, I hate this new "rental" model for office. I bought Office 2003 when it came out and didnt upgrade until 2012. It cost me about 200 when I purchased it. Now, I'm looking at close to 600 for that much time. Plus, I just don't see any possible new continuous features coming out that would make this appealing.
Click to expand...

Then keep buying it whenever you want to upgrade your traditional PC version. You just won't get an iPad version.
 
Michael Goff said:
No, it's not the "same as iWork on iOS".



Where did you get that information?
Click to expand...


iWork was pages, numbers and keynote, MS Office on iOS is word, excel and PowerPoint. Same 3 apps. MS may have some more functionality, but probably mostly stuff that the average home user wouldn't use.

You seem stuck on the idea that I'm saying it shouldn't be subscription. I'm not. I'm saying give an either/or option for people that want the ability to buy as a one off. Also you seem stuck on the idea that everyone is better off on subscription. They're not. Majority of iOS users are better off without subscription, same as they are better off paying once for office every 3 years, or 6 years, as is more likely. Power users are better off with subscription as that suits them more. Power users, by definition, are a niche.
 
I know I'm in the minority here, but I also generally have no problem paying a premium for well-made apps and services. I have an iMac and an iPad Air, which I've paired with serious productivity accessories (Zagg Folio & Jot Script). So, this is a perfect plan for me. Sure it's only $30 cheaper than the Home plan, but that's $30 I'm keeping in my wallet. At the end of the day, net net, I'm still saving money. How is this bad?
 
This situation is entirely distorted by the .99 cent apps of the last few years. Pre-iPhone, many professional software packages (Office, photoshop etc) cost a fortune. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think they are charging too much, but I do think people get nervous with the monthly payment ongoing (forever) nature of it. We've been trained to buy it once, then re-trained to buy it once for .99 cents.
 
If you use office and can get 'Office 365 University' subscription, it is by far the best value. $80 for 4 years or $1.66/month. Includes installs for 2 PC's/Mac's and 2 Tablets.
 
Again, I don't think any (or many) people would have a problem with this model existing *as an option* for those people for whom it makes sense, but Microsoft's mistake (as I would call it) is beginning to only cater for subscription customers at the exclusion of those who would rather pay up-front for a licence they own outright rather than 'renting' it.

And yes, I know you can still buy stand-alone licences now, but going forward I would not be surprised to see them ditch the option when the next version of Office for Mac is released. And of course there is no option if you want to use Office for the iPad other than in read-only mode.

As with many things Apple does, if you feel you have to 'persuade' your customers your product is good by obliterating any other option, that doesn't say much for the confidence you place in your own product/deal/service.

Say no to rental software.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Uh, no. That wasn't the point. The point is, this is worth $0 to me.
Click to expand...

Ah, the old "I'm going to post in a thread about something I have no interest in because I'm cool" trick.

shandyman said:
iWork was pages, numbers and keynote, MS Office on iOS is word, excel and PowerPoint. Same 3 apps. MS may have some more functionality, but probably mostly stuff that the average home user wouldn't use.

You seem stuck on the idea that I'm saying it shouldn't be subscription. I'm not. I'm saying give an either/or option for people that want the ability to buy as a one off. Also you seem stuck on the idea that everyone is better off on subscription. They're not. Majority of iOS users are better off without subscription, same as they are better off paying once for office every 3 years, or 6 years, as is more likely. Power users are better off with subscription as that suits them more. Power users, by definition, are a niche.
Click to expand...

No, I'm not saying all. If you'd bothered to read my posts, you'd see that I essentially said "If you don't use X and Y, this probably isn't worth it to you".

This is a good deal, however, for a lot of people. It isn't massively overpriced, it won't kill Microsoft, they aren't gouging people, or whatever nonsense a majority of the people in this thread are shoveling.

Also, saying "well, iWork has three and they have three" is a joke. It's about features. Even if you don't use them, that doesn't mean they don't cost money to develop.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Uh, no. Some people are talking about alternatives to a subscription to Microsoft. I suppose you had not noticed.
Click to expand...

I had noticed.

I didn't read you talking about an alternative, just that you will never use Office. Also, iWork is not Office. It isn't even close.
 
.mac $99 a year

Different time I know, but .mac cost to keep your website, and email address locked in year after year.

Look, $70 isn't going to make me jump, but if I did, I'd know I could cancel at any moment and move on -which is a good thing.
 
Michael Goff said:
Ah, the old "I'm going to post in a thread about something I have no interest in because I'm cool" trick.







No, I'm not saying all. If you'd bothered to read my posts, you'd see that I essentially said "If you don't use X and Y, this probably isn't worth it to you".



This is a good deal, however, for a lot of people. It isn't massively overpriced, it won't kill Microsoft, they aren't gouging people, or whatever nonsense a majority of the people in this thread are shoveling.



Also, saying "well, iWork has three and they have three" is a joke. It's about features. Even if you don't use them, that doesn't mean they don't cost money to develop.
Click to expand...


For the average user, iWork and MS Office on iOS basically have the same essential features.... Unless you'd like to prove otherwise.....

If MS offered a reasonable, one off fee option for those of us that wanted it, they'd reach a much larger audience.

----------
Michael Goff said:
I had noticed.



I didn't read you talking about an alternative, just that you will never use Office. Also, iWork is not Office. It isn't even close.
Click to expand...


For the average user it is. Which is the point being made. For the power user and professional user it is not.
 
Thanks, but no thanks. I'll keep using my Office 2011 Mac edition, I prefer that interface and design anyway..
 
shandyman said:
For the average user, iWork and MS Office on iOS basically have the same essential features.... Unless you'd like to prove otherwise.....

If MS offered a reasonable, one off fee option for those of us that wanted it, they'd reach a much larger audience.

----------




For the average user it is. Which is the point being made. For the power user and professional user it is not.
Click to expand...

What is the average user and where can I find this information?

----------
chrisbru said:
For a large portion of iPad users, iWork is EXACTLY the same as office.
Click to expand...

I'd love to see where everyone is getting this average user data set.
 
SlyMac said:
Man, I hate this new "rental" model for office. I bought Office 2003 when it came out and didnt upgrade until 2012. It cost me about 200 when I purchased it. Now, I'm looking at close to 600 for that much time. Plus, I just don't see any possible new continuous features coming out that would make this appealing.
Click to expand...
Well, it is silly to subscribe to Office 365 for a single license rental. Microsoft still sells licenses, so that would be the way to go. And in that context, read-only access to those files via Office for iPad is free.

If Microsoft were to *sell* Office for iPad for $90, people would complain that it is too much money... because it doesn't fit in with the price structure of iOS apps.

For my household: 2 notebooks, 1 desktop, 2 iPads, and a Surface 2(Office 2013 preloaded), the subscription model works out pretty good (especially after getting a deal for a 1 yr subscription for $65)

Having said that, I too am greatly against renting software.



Michael Goff said:
I'd love to see where everyone is getting this average user data set.
Click to expand...
I don't need to see it. I can believe it. But what betrays that statement is the chest-thumping over the subscription model. If the average person can get by with the free iOS iWorks, then why all of the bellyaching over the "unfairness" of the Office subscription pricing? The reasonable response should be, "oh well, for those that need Office that's good, but I'm good with the free iWorks!"
 
dec. said:
I wonder if that's an intervention because of the massive negative feedback their apps got in the app store due to the subscription pricing :confused:
Click to expand...

It was announced back in January or February. Office 365 is primarily geared toward PCs, and this is geared to the home market who might have previously purchased Office Home and Student license.
 
Microsoft Launches 'Office 365 Personal' Plan for One Mac and One iPad at $69...

Michael Goff said:
What is the average user and where can I find this information?

----------





I'd love to see where everyone is getting this average user data set.
Click to expand...


The average user is someone who is not a commercial/enterprise user and is not a power user. Clue is in the labels given mate.
 
JAT said:
Paid less than that for 365 Home for 5 people.
Click to expand...

True. It's now $63.15. A few weeks ago it was $67.15.



Oddly, Amazon is selling Office Personal licenses for $69.
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Michael Goff said:
Then keep buying it whenever you want to upgrade your traditional PC version. You just won't get an iPad version.
Click to expand...

You really think this wont bleed over to their other offerings eventually? I'm not concerned about it now but I have no doubt that within a couple years it will all be offered only as a subscription model.
 
shandyman said:
The average user is someone who is not a commercial/enterprise user and is not a power user. Clue is in the labels given mate.
Click to expand...

The words "average user" still tell me nothing about how they use their software. Me saying the average person uses pivot tables has about as much proof as what you're saying.

----------
SlyMac said:
You really think this wont bleed over to their other offerings eventually? I'm not concerned about it now but I have no doubt that within a couple years it will all be offered only as a subscription model.
Click to expand...

If it does, we'll tackle it then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back