Office 2016?

[Jerhen]

I currently have office 2011 on my late 2013 retina MacBook Pro with 2.6ghz i5 with 8gb of ram and 512gb of storage. I am considering upgrading to office 2016 because Walmart has it on sale for the single Mac which isn't a subscription and I kind of like to stay up to date with software. For anyone who has it is it worth it? If I get it how do you completely uninstall 2011 to install 2016? If I get 2016 and install it, I would like to have 2011 completely gone off of my system. All my files that work with 2011 will work with 2016 right? Pc word documents should also be compatible just like 2011?

 

[chscag]

I currently have office 2011 on my late 2013 retina MacBook Pro with 2.6ghz i5 with 8gb of ram and 512gb of storage. I am considering upgrading to office 2016 because Walmart has it on sale for the single Mac which isn't a subscription and I kind of like to stay up to date with software. For anyone who has it is it worth it? If I get it how do you completely uninstall 2011 to install 2016? If I get 2016 and install it, I would like to have 2011 completely gone off of my system.

My opinion: Save your money. Office 2011 may not be the latest, but it's still the best. But if you do decide to purchase 2016, it can co-exist with 2011. To remove 2011 you'll need to follow Microsoft's Instructions which you can find here.

 

[Jerhen]

My opinion: Save your money. Office 2011 may not be the latest, but it's still the best. But if you do decide to purchase 2016, it can co-exist with 2011. To remove 2011 you'll need to follow Microsoft's Instructions which you can find here.

Do u think that 2011 is better because it is older and has been updated to fix issues where it will take 2016 some time to get to the stability of 2011? If 2011 and 2016 coexist, does it ask you every time lets say you open a word document if you want to open in 2011 or 2016?

 

[spitf1r3]

Do u think that 2011 is better because it is older and has been updated to fix issues where it will take 2016 some time to get to the stability of 2011? If 2011 and 2016 coexist, does it ask you every time lets say you open a word document if you want to open in 2011 or 2016?

I can't tell you which is better, but I had far less problems with 16 than 11. It is frequently updated and 11 is not, so don't expect any problems in 11 to get fixed.

 

[maflynn]

Office 16, has a few more bells and whistles (not much) is a bit more polished especially for those on retina displays and MS seems committed to updating the suite fairly consistently. I think all things considered is a good move to upgrade.

 

[Jerhen]

Office 16, has a few more bells and whistles (not much) is a bit more polished especially for those on retina displays and MS seems committed to updating the suite fairly consistently. I think all things considered is a good move to upgrade.

Thanks for your reply. I agree with you that office 2016 is built for retina displays and 2011 wasn't. I hate some of the menu items in 2011 that are fuzzy and pixelated. In 2011, it's like they optimized half of the programs for Retina display but forgot about the other half. I also can get office 2016 for about $25.00 off of the full price since it is on sale. I shouldn't have any compatibility issues with 2016 because it should be the same as 2011 and all my current files should work. If I get 2016, how do you remove 2011 completely so you only have 2016 installed. I found the Microsoft page that tells you what to do but there are quite a few steps to it.

 

[highlystrange]

Thanks for your reply. I agree with you that office 2016 is built for retina displays and 2011 wasn't. I hate some of the menu items in 2011 that are fuzzy and pixelated. In 2011, it's like they optimized half of the programs for Retina display but forgot about the other half. I also can get office 2016 for about $25.00 off of the full price since it is on sale. I shouldn't have any compatibility issues with 2016 because it should be the same as 2011 and all my current files should work. If I get 2016, how do you remove 2011 completely so you only have 2016 installed. I found the Microsoft page that tells you what to do but there are quite a few steps to it.

As a former Microsoftie I can tell you that those steps are important. It does seem like quite a few, but the article is a good one, and not too complex to follow.

 

[Jerhen]

As a former Microsoftie I can tell you that those steps are important. It does seem like quite a few, but the article is a good one, and not too complex to follow.

As long as I follow the steps in the article, I shouldn't have to worry about deleting anything that I shouldn't be deleting?

 

[MLinneer]

I'm running both 2011 and 2016 on a 2013 iMac and 2014 MBA without issue. Office 2016 will set itself as the default apps and will put the icons in Launchpad instead of 2011. The "Open with" menu will still show Excel or Word v14.x when selected.

Aside from the UI changes, there's little difference between their functions. The biggest difference is the package weight. 2011 used small apps (Word.app is 57Mb) with shared resource files scattered through the \Library folder. The whole suite takes roughly 1.5Gb of storage. With 2016, Microsoft changed to an all-inclusive package system, where each app is packaged with resource files, libraries, fonts, and graphics. Excel alone is 1.76Gb, Word is 1.98Gb, by my count the whole suite is roughly 7.2Gb installed, and the latest v15.19.1 update was 3.6Gb downloaded. This can cause lengthy start times on systems with HDD compared to SDD. On my iMac with 1Tb HDD, Word can take over 40 seconds to launch (MBA with 256Gb SDD takes 10-15 seconds) but once up and running, it's just as fast as 2011. RAM usage is comparable too... Word 2011 with a 2 page resume takes 122Mb and Word 2016 takes 124Mb.

I also believe a Microsoft account is required, even with the single install disc. Any old Hotmail address will do the trick. Office 2016 defaults to opening and saving files to Onedrive but it's just a click or 2 to get to "On My Mac" locations. I've had no issues opening and saving files locally, to Onedrive, or Dropbox. I must admit the main reason I got the Office 365 version is the 1Tb Onedrive storage.

One bug that bugs me... using Ariel font if I Bold it, it displays as Bold AND Italics. Print and PDF export are fine, just the screen display is wrong. Small issue but still... and Ariel is the only font I've found that does it. I have over 3000 fonts installed and there's a short hang while Office sorts them on the drop down list. I believe that Office uses it's own builtin Ariel and not the system font I have installed but the same behavior doesn't show if I use other MS fonts like Calibri.

 

[AlliePallie]

Word 2011 has a page layout view which I find very convenient. Word 2016, the trial version, does not have this so I will not update. YMMV.

 

[chscag]

I should have mentioned in my first reply that I have both Office 2011 and 2016. My biggest problem with 2016 is that items which were configurable in 2011 are no longer in 2016... the Ribbon and Quick menu are no longer configurable. Also, 2016 sets up separate font folders for each of its apps whereas 2011 uses one font folder. Plus Office 2016 is considerably larger (bloated) when compared to Office 2011.

My advice is before you buy, check out the Microsoft Mac Office forums on the MS server where you can get a good idea of what 2016 has to offer. You can access their forums here. I will add that MS has promised to fix many of the things I mentioned above. However, keep in mind that just because 2016 is the latest, does not necessarily mean it's the best.

 

[sracer]

As an Office 365 subscriber I have access to both 2011 and 2016 versions. If I had to choose one and it was an outright-purchase of one, I'd choose 2011. It isn't perfect and it doesn't look and feel like any version of MS Office, it is far better than 2016 IMO. 2016 is a HUGE install... 2GB per application. Startup time and performance also suffers.

 

[gruversm]

My opinion: Save your money. Office 2011 may not be the latest, but it's still the best. But if you do decide to purchase 2016, it can co-exist with 2011. To remove 2011 you'll need to follow Microsoft's Instructions which you can find here.

I just can't agree with your suggestion to stay with 2011. I've had that version and have found that Office 2016 is far superior.

 

[BenTrovato]

I just can't agree with your suggestion to stay with 2011. I've had that version and have found that Office 2016 is far superior.

I agree. I found Outlook 2011 unusable but I use it regularly in 2016. The retina upgrade alone is worth for me, although I know it's not important for others. You can make the case that Office 2011 still allows you to get everything you need to do, but I just don't find it as nice to work on.

 

[JSC]

I have been using Office 2016 for about two weeks and have had no problems on a mid-2011 iMac with 16gbs. I personally find it to work faster, feels more polished and is more reliable than 2011 which I used for 5 years. It's true that you cannot customize the toolbars, but that has been a minor issue for me as the standard toolbar is pretty complete and easy to use. Outlook is much better, at least for me. It's not some new features that make me feel that way. It's doing the things I do frequently much more smoothly.

I still have 2011 on a 2015 MacBook and it feels sluggish and not as reliable. I'll be upgrading that laptop to 2016.

 

[chscag]

I just can't agree with your suggestion to stay with 2011. I've had that version and have found that Office 2016 is far superior.

That's fine. I just gave my opinion and offered some items which the OP should consider. If he decides to go with 2016, that his decision. Some folks like chocolate ice cream while others prefer strawberry.

 

[blueruck]

I made the switch from 2011 to 2016 a few months ago. I didn't like the monthly fee, but I have come to accept the fee because I like the enhancements, stability and monthly updates.

If you need to use Excel, Word, Outlook and Powerpoint daily then the upgrade is worthwhile. If you use these apps occasionally, I would get 2011.

 

[Jerhen]

I have been using Office 2016 for about two weeks and have had no problems on a mid-2011 iMac with 16gbs. I personally find it to work faster, feels more polished and is more reliable than 2011 which I used for 5 years. It's true that you cannot customize the toolbars, but that has been a minor issue for me as the standard toolbar is pretty complete and easy to use. Outlook is much better, at least for me. It's not some new features that make me feel that way. It's doing the things I do frequently much more smoothly.

I still have 2011 on a 2015 MacBook and it feels sluggish and not as reliable. I'll be upgrading that laptop to 2016.

Did you follow the support document on the Microsoft website to delete Office 2011 on your 2011 iMac to delete Office 2011 before you installed 2016 on it?
[doublepost=1456376023][/doublepost]

I'm running both 2011 and 2016 on a 2013 iMac and 2014 MBA without issue. Office 2016 will set itself as the default apps and will put the icons in Launchpad instead of 2011. The "Open with" menu will still show Excel or Word v14.x when selected.

Aside from the UI changes, there's little difference between their functions. The biggest difference is the package weight. 2011 used small apps (Word.app is 57Mb) with shared resource files scattered through the \Library folder. The whole suite takes roughly 1.5Gb of storage. With 2016, Microsoft changed to an all-inclusive package system, where each app is packaged with resource files, libraries, fonts, and graphics. Excel alone is 1.76Gb, Word is 1.98Gb, by my count the whole suite is roughly 7.2Gb installed, and the latest v15.19.1 update was 3.6Gb downloaded. This can cause lengthy start times on systems with HDD compared to SDD. On my iMac with 1Tb HDD, Word can take over 40 seconds to launch (MBA with 256Gb SDD takes 10-15 seconds) but once up and running, it's just as fast as 2011. RAM usage is comparable too... Word 2011 with a 2 page resume takes 122Mb and Word 2016 takes 124Mb.

I also believe a Microsoft account is required, even with the single install disc. Any old Hotmail address will do the trick. Office 2016 defaults to opening and saving files to Onedrive but it's just a click or 2 to get to "On My Mac" locations. I've had no issues opening and saving files locally, to Onedrive, or Dropbox. I must admit the main reason I got the Office 365 version is the 1Tb Onedrive storage.

One bug that bugs me... using Ariel font if I Bold it, it displays as Bold AND Italics. Print and PDF export are fine, just the screen display is wrong. Small issue but still... and Ariel is the only font I've found that does it. I have over 3000 fonts installed and there's a short hang while Office sorts them on the drop down list. I believe that Office uses it's own builtin Ariel and not the system font I have installed but the same behavior doesn't show if I use other MS fonts like Calibri.

That is really weird that they would push the size of the applications so much up compared to 2011. You aren't having any issues then with both versions installed on the same system then?

 

[MLinneer]

That is really weird that they would push the size of the applications so much up compared to 2011. You aren't having any issues then with both versions installed on the same system then?

No issues that I know of. Both versions seem to run fine.

 

[JSC]

Did you follow the support document on the Microsoft website to delete Office 2011 on your 2011 iMac to delete Office 2011 before you installed 2016 on it?
[doublepost=1456376023][/doublepost]

That is really weird that they would push the size of the applications so much up compared to 2011. You aren't having any issues then with both versions installed on the same system then?

In response to:
Did you follow the support document on the Microsoft website to delete Office 2011 on your 2011 iMac to delete Office 2011 before you installed 2016 on it?
--- Post Merged, Yesterday at 9:53 PM ---

I did not delete Office 2011. The 2011 apps are in a separate folder Microsoft Office 2011. When I loaded 2016, it didn't suggest that I do so as part of the new install. I had read in several places that MS didn't require it so people could go back or test it. I had seen posts by folks who had do so as well. Wasn't aware of MS support document. None the less, I had no problems installing 2016 nor have I had problems using it.

 

[Jerhen]

In response to:
Did you follow the support document on the Microsoft website to delete Office 2011 on your 2011 iMac to delete Office 2011 before you installed 2016 on it?
--- Post Merged, Yesterday at 9:53 PM ---

I did not delete Office 2011. The 2011 apps are in a separate folder Microsoft Office 2011. When I loaded 2016, it didn't suggest that I do so as part of the new install. I had read in several places that MS didn't require it so people could go back or test it. I had seen posts by folks who had do so as well. Wasn't aware of MS support document. None the less, I had no problems installing 2016 nor have I had problems using it.

Do you think I should get Office 2016 and just keep 2011 too on my Mac. If I delete 2011 from my Mac its not like I can use it on another machine. If I ever had an issue for some odd reason with 2016, I could open the file in 2011 and use the 2011 versions basically as a backup if I should have issues with Office 2016.

 

[Mlrollin91]

I can't tell you which is better, but I had far less problems with 16 than 11. It is frequently updated and 11 is not, so don't expect any problems in 11 to get fixed.

Im in the exact opposite boat. I have had nothing but problems with El Cap and 2016, but 2011 has been flawless from the day I upgraded to El Cap Beta 1. I'm not an extreme power user so I don't miss any of the bells and whistles that 2016 comes with. I'm perfectly happy with 2011, and it does seem to get an update once every 4-5 weeks.

 

[JSC]

Do you think I should get Office 2016 and just keep 2011 too on my Mac. If I delete 2011 from my Mac its not like I can use it on another machine. If I ever had an issue for some odd reason with 2016, I could open the file in 2011 and use the 2011 versions basically as a backup if I should have issues with Office 2016.

Jerkin, I can't tell you what you should do. I shared my experience which is where I kept 2011 on my Mac. I acquired 2016 through Amazon, which was somewhat lower in cost. You're directed by a link in Amazon via email to a Microsoft site which is where 2016 was downloaded. Because of your concerns, I just opened 2011 Word and Excel and opened documents in each. They opened and I was able to make changes in each. Got the Save message but I didn't save the changes. I didn't do Outlook because that could really create a mess syncing with Exchange given the time I have used Outlook 2016. Hope that helps.
[doublepost=1456426078][/doublepost]

Did you follow the support document on the Microsoft website to delete Office 2011 on your 2011 iMac to delete Office 2011 before you installed 2016 on it?
[doublepost=1456376023][/doublepost]

That is really weird that they would push the size of the applications so much up compared to 2011. You aren't having any issues then with both versions installed on the same system then?

I've had no issues. However, Office 2011 wasn't in Launchpad. I had to open them from the Applications folder. Can't explain the app size. I have a lot of space on my HD so it wasn't a concern for me. The 16 Gbg of RAM may also be helping performance as on my Mac Office is very fast.