Upgrade to Office 2011 or 2016

[bladerunner616]

I want to upgrade from my 2008 version before Microsoft goes to a subscription only model.

I was reading some reviews of 2016 and many were negative.

I am trying to set up my system for a few more years of use so buying 2016 makes me lean that way.

But 2011 is still a few years newer than what I have so maybe that is a better choice.

I primarily use Word with some slight usage of Excel with a once in a few years use of PowerPoint.

Being compatible with Windows file formats is also important to me.

Thanks for the input.

And please do not post any responses that I should embrace the subscription model, I know what I want.

 

[techwarrior]

I have had minimal issues with 2016, I use it on two Macs now running Mojave Beta. Main issues I have seen are slow launch and nagging about not shutting down properly on one of the Macs. i am sure if I reinstalled these would go away.

2011 is technically not supported on High Sierra and is in end of support status. 2016 will be supported for several years so if you intend to use for a while, 16 might be a better bet,

 

[Gator1pk]

[QUOTE="techwarrior, post: 26318583, member: 345547"

2011 is technically not supported on High Sierra and is in end of support status. 2016 will be supported for several years so if you intend to use for a while, 16 might be a better bet,[/QUOTE]

2011 is no longer supported by Microsoft, regardless of which version of OSX you are running. That means no updates. I have the disc version of 2011; I’m an advanced user of Excel and moderate user of Word. Have never had an issue with 2011. I can save an excel file in my Mac and then open the file in my work PC.

 

[Audit13]

I just windows machines at work so I prefer office 2016.

 

[borgranta]

Whichever version you chose I recommend getting one built for business such as home and business. Outlook is included in home and business which enables sorting emails alphabetically by sender or subject which can be handy when dealing with hundreds of emails especially if the risk missing email would be problematic.

 

[chscag]

Office 2011 continues to function just fine in High Sierra, Microsoft support or no. And it will continue to function in Mojave according to Apple. (32 bit apps which Office 2011 is, will function throughout Mojave.) I would wait to see what Microsoft comes up with before going to Office 2016. Supposedly they are developing a newer version of Office. Perhaps it will be called "Office 2019". Another reason to maybe stay with 2011 is that 2016 takes up around 5X the amount of hard drive space as does 2011 and does not really provide that much enhancement.

 

[campyguy]

I'm using primarily Windows for work, Office 2016 for WinOS is my preferred environment and my offices are a mix of O365 and perpetual licenses. That written, relevant to the OP's question, I prefer the Mac 2016 suite over 2011 with caveats.

Caveat #1 is IMHO if 2008 still suits your needs there's no need to update *now*. Office 2019 - this is the perpetual license - will be available for businesses and personal use in October 2018. MS provides full support for perpetual personal licenses for 5 years after the suite is issued. Basically, you'd have an option to buy a perpetual Office 2019 license likely through October 2023 before MS cuts off activation of new licenses and subscriptions to O365 are the only option (as it stands now, and MS hasn't fully ruled out issuing new suites that have perpetual options - I prefer perpetual licenses in some instances in my company and I'm not the only one in my circle that has aired that opinion to MS).

Caveat #2 is IMHO MS is pushing people to O365 and - despite being a subscriber myself - MS is doing persons like you a disservice in that they aren't very clear with their product path, and one has to root around and dig for a product timeline.

Consider signing up for a free Outlook.com account if you don't have one already. MS moved to a common code base across desktop, mobile, and web platforms - a free Outlook.com account includes access to the free web-based Office suite - and it doesn't suck.

My MS rep informed me around 3 months ago that MS is not activating new Office 2011 perpetual licenses as their "5+2" support option expired in October 2017. Don't buy Office 2016 as 2019 should be available for purchase/DL on 10/10/2018 and there is no upgrade path from previous versions - full cost purchases only.

 

[chscag]

My MS rep informed me around 3 months ago that MS is not activating new Office 2011 perpetual licenses as their "5+2" support option expired in October 2017. Don't buy Office 2016 as 2019 should be available for purchase/DL on 10/10/2018 and there is no upgrade path from previous versions - full cost purchases only.

That figures. Too bad about no new activations for 2011 but as far as there being no upgrade path from a previous version and having to pay full price for Office; nothing new there. I can't remember when the last time was that MS sold an Office upgrade. And I've been an Office user since Office 1997.

 

[kohlson]

I use Office, and have the 2016 perpetual license. It works fine. You can still buy perpetual licenses, and there is good reason to think that will be true for the foreseeable future. Few, if any, large corporations will buy a subscription license. Not because of the cost, but because they need control over rollouts of updates - which have been known to break other corporate tools and apps. I worked for several years in a large IT company, and some Office update broke something or other a few times a year. IT would block the update until everything was fixed.
I agree with what others stated above. To get the maximum life for your software dollars, buy the next version, unless you need it now.

 

[ScottNWDW]

For as low as $10 a month you can get Office 365 which is well worth the money since you will always have the latest version. I use it on 2 Macs, an iPad Pro and also have a rarely used Windows laptop that it is used on. Plus I can access it at work which uses PC's.

 

[MLinneer]

I just recently rolled back to Office 2011 on my late 2013 iMac. With a hard drive, it's just too slow on my machine and frankly, I don't get anything out of my Office 365 subscription except the 1Tb Onedrive access. I run 365 on my Dell Win7Pro machine but Office loads in a snap on Windows... and the Dell has a slower CPU and has less RAM! On the iMac, it takes over a minute for a document to be editable. Office 2011 loads in 3 seconds and I have a cursor 2 seconds after that. To top it off, Word 365 fully updated on the Mac is 2.3Gb (full suite is 8.9Gb!)on the hard drive... The entire suite Office 2011 is under 1.4Gb. If I didn't need Access and pivot tables in Excel, I'd probably just dump Office and use iWork instead.

 

[chscag]

To top it off, Word 365 fully updated on the Mac is 2.3Gb (full suite is 8.9Gb!)on the hard drive... The entire suite Office 2011 is under 1.4Gb. If I didn't need Access and pivot tables in Excel, I'd probably just dump Office and use iWork instead.

That's exactly what I have been telling folks about Office 2016 or O365. It's typical Microsoft bloatware. I intend to keep using Office 2011 throughout Mojave and after Mojave when 2011 will no longer work because it's 32 bit I will use Pages when I can or purchase the Softmaker Office Suite and use that instead.

 

[Ace2617]

My main Mac is still running Sierra but I think I'm going to upgrade to 10.13 soon and eventually Mojave. But to move to High Sierra, I think I'll have to get MS Office 2016. I've been using the 2011 version, and for the most part it works well.

 

[chscag]

My main Mac is still running Sierra but I think I'm going to upgrade to 10.13 soon and eventually Mojave. But to move to High Sierra, I think I'll have to get MS Office 2016. I've been using the 2011 version, and for the most part it works well.

No need to buy 2016 or O365. Office 2011 works fine in High Sierra and will continue to work in Mojave. Why spend money on something you don't really need. MS has ended support for 2011 but when was the last time you needed support from MS?

 

[Ace2617]

No need to buy 2016 or O365. Office 2011 works fine in High Sierra and will continue to work in Mojave. Why spend money on something you don't really need. MS has ended support for 2011 but when was the last time you needed support from MS?

Oh. I was under the impression that 2011 wouldn't run on High Sierra. I genuinely didn't know this lol thank you.

 

[cdcastillo]

...2011 is technically not supported on High Sierra and is in end of support status...

Exactly what I wanted to write. Office 2011 might work on High Sierra, but is buggy as hell, with lots of error prompts and also is quite slow. Recently I had to resort to it because I had no internet at the office and the version I'm currently using (Word 15.40) needs internet to work. I would not risk it for my daily needs.

If you plan on using the most recent Mac OS, it seems the 2016 is your only option here.

For as low as $10 a month you can get Office 365 which is well worth the money since you will always have the latest version. I use it on 2 Macs, an iPad Pro and also have a rarely used Windows laptop that it is used on. Plus I can access it at work which uses PC's.

Dude, the OP explicitly said "And please do not post any responses that I should embrace the subscription model, I know what I want."

 

[bladerunner616]

Exactly what I wanted to write. Office 2011 might work on High Sierra, but is buggy as hell, with lots of error prompts and also is quite slow. Recently I had to resort to it because I had no internet at the office and the version I'm currently using (Word 15.40) needs internet to work. I would not risk it for my daily needs.

If you plan on using the most recent Mac OS, it seems the 2016 is your only option here.




Dude, the OP explicitly said "And please do not post any responses that I should embrace the subscription model, I know what I want."

Thank you for understanding this and noting it.
[doublepost=1533754648][/doublepost]

Exactly what I wanted to write. Office 2011 might work on High Sierra, but is buggy as hell, with lots of error prompts and also is quite slow. Recently I had to resort to it because I had no internet at the office and the version I'm currently using (Word 15.40) needs internet to work. I would not risk it for my daily needs.

If you plan on using the most recent Mac OS, it seems the 2016 is your only option here.




Dude, the OP explicitly said "And please do not post any responses that I should embrace the subscription model, I know what I want."

Thank you for understanding this and noting it.
[doublepost=1533754750][/doublepost]I would like to thank everyone that gave me input on which version to purchase.

 

[Pinky2019]

[QUOTE="techwarrior, post: 26318583, member: 345547"

2011 is technically not supported on High Sierra and is in end of support status. 2016 will be supported for several years so if you intend to use for a while, 16 might be a better bet,

2011 is no longer supported by Microsoft, regardless of which version of OSX you are running. That means no updates. I have the disc version of 2011; I’m an advanced user of Excel and moderate user of Word. Have never had an issue with 2011. I can save an excel file in my Mac and then open the file in my work PC.[/QUOTE]
J
[doublepost=1548203523][/doublepost]Just wondering how to get Excel in Mac Office 2011 going in Mojave. Have had it going in Mavericks, lately Sierra in MacBook Air but when I fitted a Hatssd to increase memory in the MacBook Air along with Mojave I struck a problem. When firing up Excel it asked for my key which I duly entered, then keep getting the Message that "Activation site temp. unavailable" so kept trying for several days, eventually I bit the bullet and rang the Phone activation number at MS. Spoke to a lovely lady who valiantly went through many scenarios, many attempts to key in my number, sent another activation number but eventually I had to flag away as up against a MS dead end and phoning from down under. Offered to provide a free month sub to Office 365. But the point is I purchased Office 2011, it is mine, works a treat in Mavericks and Sierra and be quite happy with no support from MS (I have never needed it before). I have an extensive Excel file I use with many macros and other alternatives will not work. OK some will say buy the latest MS version, Yeah right and have that blocked a few years down the track just like they appear to be doing with 2011. As from reports of others 2011 will work in Mojave - how can I get around the MS blockade?

 

[Gregg2]

I want to upgrade from my 2008 version before Microsoft goes to a subscription only model.

I am currently giving Free Office from SoftMaker a trial run. So far, it's doing what I need. It does not convert Office files to another file type as Libre Office does. I have sent files to Windows users, had them revised and returned to me, and they open up seamlessly on both ends. My needs are not that complex for Word and Excel files, so if that's true for you as well, you might want to give it a try. As the name implies, it doesn't cost you anything.

 

[kohlson]

how can I get around the MS blockade?

A couple of weeks ago I installed Office 2011 on an old Mini I was refurbishing for my brother. To activate, I ended up calling the automated telephone support. Dozens of numbers back and forth. But after 15 minutes or so I had it, and it works fine. I found the MS site to download the "latest" updater, and it works as expected. Note this was on El Cap, the latest this mini would support.

 

[jaybar]

A couple of weeks ago I installed Office 2011 on an old Mini I was refurbishing for my brother. To activate, I ended up calling the automated telephone support. Dozens of numbers back and forth. But after 15 minutes or so I had it, and it works fine. I found the MS site to download the "latest" updater, and it works as expected. Note this was on El Cap, the latest this mini would support.

I am not sure MS is providing security updates. I just looked on Google and it said security updates stopped in 2017. Some might not care. Others might.

 

[kohlson]

I am not sure MS is providing security updates.

From all I can tell, I am sure they are not providing security/other updates to 2011. 14.7.7 seems to be the latest.

 

[jaybar]

I agree. I would think the security updates are fairly important and therefore wonder why people would continue to use 2011?

Moreover, if people choose to move beyond Mojave, they will need to move to a 64 bit version.

 

[BobD2]

I have been running Office 2011 (version 14.7.2) for some time on my mid-2010 MacPro running HS 10.13.6. Works fine -- no issues, no error prompts, not noticeably slow. There is a later version (14.7.7) of Office 2011. For those of you who just need a good word processor, there are non-Microsoft possibilities (other than Pages) that might be worth considering. An example that I don't see mentioned very often is Nisus Writer Pro (https://www.nisus.com/pro/). There is a 15 day free trial available (full version). I've looked at it. Seems nice, but I have used Word for years, so will probably stick with that as long as I can. Also, I need Excel, and the non-Microsoft options there don't impress me up to now.

 

[chscag]

The best alternative to MS Office that I have found other than the free LibreOffice or Open Office, is SoftMaker Office. They have a free version you can try out and also several pay versions. Download their trial version and try it out for awhile. It's fully functional for 30 days. I found it to be a very good alternative to MS Office. And it's 64 bit so it will continue to work after Mojave.