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Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.

By | April 12, 2011, 9:45am PDT

Summary: Trying out Microsoft’s competitor to Google’s apps and other online collaborative tools.

I recently was offered the opportunity to try out Microsoft’s Office 365 beta.  It appears that this is Microsoft’s answer to Google’s online services. It offers online versions of Outlook and Exchange; team versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and Lync (Microsoft’s stab at instant message as well as both audio and video calling.) It also wants to be the company’s web presence. I’ll try this out and let you know a bit about my experiences. So far, I’m not impressed.

The first thing that this service does is scold me about my choice of Web browser and tells me that:

Improve your web browser experience You are viewing Microsoft Office 365 with a web browser that may cause some pages to display incorrectly and some features to function in an unexpected way. You will have a better experience with our website if you use one of these supported browsers:

  • Windows Internet Explorer 9, Internet Explorer 8, or Internet Explorer 7 running on Windows 7
  • Windows Internet Explorer 8 or Internet Explorer 7 running on Windows Vista
  • Mozilla Firefox running on Windows 7 or Windows Vista
  • Apple Safari running on Mac OS X version 10.6 or 10.5

So, the answer is “no soup for you” if you’re using Firefox on Mac or anything on Linux.

I’m not sure who would be interested in using Microsoft online as their web presence. Nor am I too sure why people would abandon the instant messaging or internet calling tools they’re using today.

I’ll play with this and comment again.

Here are a few ZDnet posts on Microsoft Office 365

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Topics

Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Office, Office Suites, Software, Dan Kusnetzky

Daniel Kusnetzky is a distinguished analyst and the founder of the Kusnetzky Group LLC.

Disclosure

Dan Kusnetzky

The Kusnetzky Group LLC is an independent technology industry research firm that focuses on system software, virtualization and cloud computing technology.

Dan's opinions are based upon research, personal experiences and actual use of technology. They are not based upon the relationships the company may or may not have with suppliers, end user organizations, the media, consultants or other analysts.

Dan's research is available on a subscription basis through the Kusnetzky Group LLC. Dan's attendance at industry events or at client meetings may be sponsored by the client. Clients may provide hardware or software for testing prior to the publication of analysis that includes that product. Clients may also provide shirts, jackets, coffee cups, folders, backpacks, pens and other event chotchkies. While nice, these don't effect Dan's opinions or insight about those clients or their products.

Biography

Dan Kusnetzky

Daniel Kusnetzky, Analyst and Founder of Kusnetzky Group LLC, is responsible for research, publications, and operations. Mr. Kusnetzky has been involved with information technology since the late 1970s. Mr. Kusnetzky has been responsible for research operations at the 451 Group; corporate and marketing strategy for Open-Xchange; system software and virtualization research at IDC; and program and product management at Digital Equipment Corporation.; Today, Mr. Kusnetzky focuses on system software, virtualization technology and cloud computing.

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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
FAULKNE 13th Oct
Good day to confirm this comment I would appreciate T h e b e s t o f Z D N e t d e l i v e r e d your website very nice to everyone Yes, Oracle is the only one with shared-disk architecture, but that is there advantage. It means you can add or remove nodes and the database lives on. In a shared nothing architecture, if you lose a node, you lose the system. I'm sure Oracle appreciates EMC highlighting their advantage.I also desire to signal in your RSS feeds. Thank you as soon as once again and maintain up the great operate Awesome post! Thank you very much || thanks for nice content this is really benefit to me.
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Awesome!
COMMO25U 12th Apr 2011
MS lets you into the Beta and you complain about having to use IE. Corporations who have no issue with having IE as their supported browser keep getting shunned away from the Beta! Glad to see you made it in and offer no intelligence to the rest of us who look forward to this opportunity! Keep up the crappy reporting!
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
apetti 12th Apr 2011
@COMMO25U I agree!!!!!!
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
Digger_z 12th Apr 2011
@COMMO25U and it isn't just restricted to IE, he could also be using Firefox on Windows or Safari on Mac. Looks to me like Daniel Kusnetzky is just looking for reasons to crap on this product.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
tonymcs@... Updated - 12th Apr 2011
@COMMO25U

You don't know who wants to use MS online? You haven't noticed that the most used IM is MS? This scrawled post you've put up. doesn't even count as a blog.

WHich century are you writing from?
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
filhomarques 16th Jul
@COMMO25U


Where does Idaho rank? We have been living in Montana for the past 5 years and I am not supri sexy shop to find it #3 on the "worst" list. Considering a sexshopmove to Idaho to escapthe high cost of living a low income in MT. There may not be a sales tax here but they get you if you own property!
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
Rama.NET Updated - 12th Apr 2011
One thing for sure, you didn't understand what is beta! Rest of your blog is just crap. Sorry to put this down and if it sounds harsh, but it is that.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
bnlf 12th Apr 2011
im in beta as well...had only a small time testing it but you really dont need IE to use office 365. It automatically configures your office tools and lync to use their server so you can use the desktop softwares in the cloud. Its very handy for small companies like mine that cant afford expensive licenses and servers.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
Jaipo 12th Apr 2011
Yup pretty one sided reporting going on there...
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
mylo@... 12th Apr 2011
@COMMO25U .. kudos!... Dan Kuznetsky... what a waste of time this post is.... There are tens of thousands of us out there waiting for Q2 to try it out , and here you are pouting about browser selection. Try doing a bit of reporting as one of the lucky few and actually look at the product. I'm not quite sure how you managed to wing beta selection, but it appears your presence on it is a big mistake.
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I'm not sure. What does the term "Beta" mean?
Will Farrell 12th Apr 2011
does that mean it's the finished product? So it should work on everything if thats the case.

Beta? I'll look that word up.
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What a joke...
omdguy 12th Apr 2011
Well, look at his credentials:

"Daniel Kusnetzky is a distinguished analyst and the founder of the Kusnetzky Group LLC"

I too am a Distinguished Analyst at Omdguy Group LLC.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
1773 12th Apr 2011
@omdguy happy
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
WishyWashyWannabe Updated - 12th Apr 2011
What a waste of a beta opportunity. Microsoft should consider offering this to somebody who has actual insight into the product. Your entire blog can be summed up in a fragment sentence such as, "best runs in ie9 therefore not impressed"... wow.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
mgates1950 13th Apr 2011
I'm in the beta and I've used IE9, Google Chrome, FireFox and Safari (on my Mac) without a hitch. Daniel needs to go back to school.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
TheMasterPrawn 24th Apr 2011
yea, well done on the crappy reporting man.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
MACKENZI 11th Sep
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
TOCCAR 25th Sep
Well welcome, hopefully you can become a vital member of the community and really help to push far ahead of google. Which Im sure the development team would love. This will of course earn you alot points too and get you on the leaders board. z d n e t t h a n k Im not sure i come to an agreement with you on every level, howevor it absolutely was a good posting, many thanks for taking the time to put up your ideas.
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
MCKNIGH 26th Sep
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
JOYCEwe 26th Sep
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
MEJIAHA 30th Sep
Fantastic news about the new release.I positively enjoying each little bit of it and I have you b o o k m a r k e d to check out new stuff you weblog post.Im not sure i come to an agreement with you on every level, howevor it absolutely was a good posting, many thanks for taking the time to put up your ideas
0 Votes
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RE: Trying out Microsoft Office 365 beta.
FAULKNE 13th Oct
Good day to confirm this comment I would appreciate T h e b e s t o f Z D N e t d e l i v e r e d your website very nice to everyone Yes, Oracle is the only one with shared-disk architecture, but that is there advantage. It means you can add or remove nodes and the database lives on. In a shared nothing architecture, if you lose a node, you lose the system. I'm sure Oracle appreciates EMC highlighting their advantage.I also desire to signal in your RSS feeds. Thank you as soon as once again and maintain up the great operate Awesome post! Thank you very much || thanks for nice content this is really benefit to me.

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