One of the things that make Windows most sought after is the MS Office suite. Also, being all too aware of the cash cow that it has proved to be for Microsoft over the years, the company has just come out with a comprehensive upgrade for the software. The all new thoroughly revamped Windows 8 was launched just last October and the new Office 2013 marks a similar development for the Office productivity suite. No points for guessing the new Office 2013 has now been optimized for operation in a touchscreen environment. However, the biggest change here is that Microsoft is offering a subscription based service in the form of Office 365 for the first time ever.
“This is a fundamental shift in our business that began a several years ago,” said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in his blog post.
So there are two ways one can go for Office 2013 – buy it outright for a one time payment of $139, or opt for a yearly Office 365 Home Premium subscription fee of $99.99. (There is also a monthly subscription offer for the latter that costs $9.99.) However, what makes Office 365 attractive is that it allows the software to be loaded on up to 5 different computers running either Windows or Mac. Plus, the subscription service makes one eligible for all free upgrades whenever they are available. Users will get to use Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook, and Access. Also on offer is 20 GB of free cloud storage on SkyDrive along with 60 minutes of calls via Skype.
For a one time payment of $139, users will get the Home and Student package that will allow the user to install the software in just a single PC. The version is sans MS Outlook. Home and Business 2013 package which includes Outlook comes for $219.99 while Office Professional 2013 which is inclusive of Publisher and Access comes for $399.99.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
