Quick question regarding Microsoft Office

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I asked my college technology store about this and they gave me an answer, but i just want to confirm it's correct...
Currently, they only have Microsoft Office 2013 Professional Plus for Windows,
and Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac.
They said that the new Microsoft Office 2013 is not out for Mac yet, and probably will not be until spring 2014.
They said that if I bought Office 2011 for Mac, when the new Office 2013 comes out, I would be able to update for free.
Is that correct? I really can just update for free? I wouldn't have to pay to upgrade or buy the new version or anything?
 

chscag

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There is no way they know for sure if you'll be able to update for free. My opinion is no, you won't be able. MS will likely release the new Office suite for the Mac in early 2014. If you buy Office 2011 now, you'll very likely have to pay again for Office 2014. Too much time between versions.
 

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Agree.

Over the past 30 yrs, don't believe I've ever seen MS hand out free upgrades for any product purchased prior to even the release date being announced of the new version.

My question is, why would that even matter?
You either need MS office for your school work now or you don't.
Don't need it - don't buy it.
Need it - don't believe the professors are going to wait a year until the next version comes out.
 

bobtomay

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Yeah, that promo was for the Windows or the subscription based product - $100/yr instead of $100 for the product.
That's one way to increase revenue for the shareholders.

MS has been very good at offering free upgrades once they announce a release date for the next version.

I am inclined to agree with chas - the next version of Office for Mac may indeed be a subscription based product rather than a one time cost.
 
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Agree.

Over the past 30 yrs, don't believe I've ever seen MS hand out free upgrades for any product purchased prior to even the release date being announced of the new version.

My question is, why would that even matter?
You either need MS office for your school work now or you don't.
Don't need it - don't buy it.
Need it - don't believe the professors are going to wait a year until the next version comes out.
Well, I mean, I'd obviously preferred to have an updated version if possible.
I have Windows Office from like 2007 I could use until the Mac 2013 comes out and just use Boot Camp or something, but that seems like a hassle.
But, I just figured an updated version is usually better than one from 2-3 years ago.
 

chscag

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First, the link posted by chas_m has expired and it was for Office 365 which is the subscription version of Office. Blah!

Second, there will be NO Office 2013 for the Mac as that is a Windows version only. Rumor out of Microsoft says there will be an Office 2014 version... note the 2014. And as I stated before, forget about getting a free updated copy if you purchase now.

If you need Office for school, buy it now. You can get the student version on sale for less than $90 and maybe even better at a university book store. Or go with one of the free versions for Office. The new LibreOffice 4.0 for the Mac is a very good choice and was recently updated and enhanced. It will cost you nothing to try.
 
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First, the link posted by chas_m has expired and it was for Office 365 which is the subscription version of Office. Blah!

Second, there will be NO Office 2013 for the Mac as that is a Windows version only. Rumor out of Microsoft says there will be an Office 2014 version... note the 2014. And as I stated before, forget about getting a free updated copy if you purchase now.

If you need Office for school, buy it now. You can get the student version on sale for less than $90 and maybe even better at a university book store. Or go with one of the free versions for Office. The new LibreOffice 4.0 for the Mac is a very good choice and was recently updated and enhanced. It will cost you nothing to try.

Thanks for the info.
Guess I'll check it out, but I'll probably end up getting Office 2011 for Mac then.
 

bobtomay

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But, I just figured an updated version is usually better than one from 2-3 years ago.

Don't know about that...

Going from Office '03 to '07 - seemed like everything was one click farther away than the previous version.
Some items multiple clicks.

Just this past week, finally got a new computer at the office and upgraded to '10 from '07.
A whole bunch of stuff I use everyday, multiples of times a day, is definitely one click farther away than it was in '07.
I have no interest whatsoever in even reading reviews, much less considering '13 or 360.
Seems to me, everything MS has done since the introduction of the "ribbon" has just made Office less user friendly.

And omg - adding in your own personalized, custom toolbar now...
I couldn't even figure out how to do it with the directions printed out sitting in front of me.
 

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I hate when companies move frequently used items one or more steps away from where they were with no apparent good reason. I think Photoshop, among others, has done that numerous times in the past.

In the not every upgrade is an improvement file: Didn't MSoft get so many complaints about one version of Word/Office for Mac that they started re-selling version 5.1 for a while?
 

chscag

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In the not every upgrade is an improvement file: Didn't MSoft get so many complaints about one version of Word/Office for Mac that they started re-selling version 5.1 for a while?

It's all about the money. Office is Microsoft's "cash cow" so you can well imagine they'll try to sell you a newer version. They've done that over the years again and again. They even obsoleted older versions of Office so that they wouldn't work on Vista or Windows 7.

And if you think the complaints about changing Office are ramping up, you ought read some of the blogs and columns about Windows 8 and the new Windows 8.1 Preview. The boys have got their torches ready for a march on Redmond! :p

I hope Tim Cook is paying attention....
 

bobtomay

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Can't even imagine Win 8 - have Win 7 at the house but use Windows extremely rarely for production here.
Now having to use Win 7 at work in a production environment, I'm finding out how much harder it is to use the taskbar where every Excel document is in a single icon instead of being listed separately as in XP.

Now, instead of being able to just click the workbook I need next from the taskbar, I have to go and hover on the single icon and wait for them all to appear before I can select the one I need. pitb as I could have as many as a dozen workbooks open at any given time.

Next going to have to see if I can get the XP taskbar back that everyone else probably already knows how to do.
 

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