Office is going to be falling like a rock. Can you
say "pennies on the dollar"??
Microsoft hints at second low-cost Office option
Summary
In addition to the bare-bones Office 2010 Starter that will come bundled on many new PCs, starting next year, it appears Microsoft has another low-cost option planned.
Topics
In addition to the bare-bones Office 2010 Starter that will come bundled on many new PCs, starting next year, it appears Microsoft has another low-cost option planned.
As part of the announcement of Office Starter on Thursday, Microsoft said consumers will be able to go to retailers and get a 'product key card' with a code to upgrade to a full version of Office, such as the Home and Student, Home and Business and Professional versions.
A close look at the image for the Office Home and Student card reveals text saying: "For one preloaded PC only". Office Home and Student is typically licensed for up to three PCs — meaning this card, which is good for only one PC, has the potential to be cheaper than the standard retail package, which includes a DVD copy and is good for three computers.
Read more of "Microsoft hints at another cheap Office option at CNET News.
Talkback Most Recent of 35 Talkback(s)
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DonnieBoy12th Oct 2009 -
$0 is about right
for all the headaches MS has caused the world.
itguy0812th Oct 2009 -
But then freetards would get to use the best Office Suite in the world...
But keep on dreaming...maybe Microsoft could someday lower the prices of their product enough for freetards to afford one.
transposeIT13th Oct 2009 -
Microsoft-envy won't stop the smart masses from using MSOffice...
It's stiil best that other Office alternative developers try and make a better product that people can actually use. Crappy open source just doesn't cut it. It's only good enough for basement dwelling bums.transposeIT13th Oct 2009 -
M$ still has to drop the price a lot
in order to reach $0 and compete to Open Office.
Linux Geek12th Oct 2009 -
It is a myth
that items need to be identical prices in order to compete effectively.
frgough12th Oct 2009 -
that's the best metrics
once the consumer compares apples to apples, he/she can factor in other merits like source code availibility.Linux Geek12th Oct 2009 -
What?
Consumers care about ease of use and compatibility. They don't care about the size of an array in function foo. They just want foo to work everytime. If it doesn't they'll get a product that does. Unfortunately OpenOffice can't provide 100% compatibility but it does offer a smaller learning curve in terms of the UI for pre-MSOffice 2007 users - IMHO the ribbon was a terrible change.
huy12th Oct 2009 -
Don't bother
He/she thinks having access to the source code is more important than functionality.
And the ribbon change is a matter of opinion because I like it and find I can do things a lot faster than having to hunt through file menus and sub menus.
bobiroc12th Oct 2009 -
Nobody
Cares for the source code. How many people do you think are going to meddle through it when they're writing their term paper or a big presentation for tomorrow?
If you like doing that good for you, but I have work to get done.
Cylon Centurion12th Oct 2009 -
Identical Prices
Your'e right, some people are just plain stupid when
it comes to assessing "value". "Which is what you
get for what you pay". Isn't there whole industries
set up on this premise, like womens fashions,
purses, cosmetics, jewelery etc. (even Apple is on
this band wagon) Stevo thinks that this is the
business MS is in, and that these are the customers.
Corporate buyers have a different outlook and ways
of assessing value. (and cost IS part of this)
bigpicture12th Oct 2009 -
Competition
While OpenOffice is a decent solution and I install it all the time for people with light Office Suite needs MS Office is way more powerful than OpenOffice. They already have good programs for students and educators to get the full Suite for a very low cost or in some cases free. Our teachers and staff get free at home usage rights with our Education Volume License and if students or staff want to buy a copy they can get Office STD for $60ish or Pro for $80ish.
That being said we have students and Staff that have OpenOffice at home and while they claim compatibility it is mediocre at best. I have seen instances of formatting loss and many times features like transitions and formulated documents do not translate so well.bobiroc12th Oct 2009 -
That's what irks me about MS
I have to pay 5 times what your students or staff do to get the software. I am a casual user so I am forced to Open Office. It does what I need but I would rather have office. I could understand if everyone payed $400 for it but when they give huge discounts to certain people, it makes me mad. I resell MS Server 2008. What makes a student more qualified, or a teacher, for these discounts. Same with the OS itself. Build a computer, pay $300. Buy a computer, pay $30.
20kwfence12th Oct 2009 -
Well that goes for anything
Not Just MS. Most companies provide discounts for education if they are buying hardware, software, equipment, whatever. MS does offer similar incentives to Corporate and Businesses too. If they Get Volume licensing for certain products their staff can have take home rights too.
When it comes to the OS there is differences in licensing Retail you can install that OS then uninstall it and install it on another computer. OEM you cannot and it lives and dies with the first computer you install/activate it on. That is why Windows OEM is cheaper than Windows Retail. I am not sure how the OEM computer makers charge for it but if you spec out a computer and want to upgrade the OS from lets say Home Premium to Pro they do charge the $40 - $60 for the upgrade which is about the same as the difference if you were to buy an OEM version from a store.
I guess it depends on your needs and you may or may not know they do offer a student and home version for $130 that is licensed for up to 3 PCs and includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Now if you need or want outlook then that is a different story.bobiroc12th Oct 2009 -
Make those seniors pay full price!
Yeah, nobody should be given a discount on anything based on status. Prices should be the same across the board in every district, country, etc.
Why should people in rural Wyoming pay less for gas than people in New York. And why should people in Haiti pay less for mangoes than us in the US?
Listen, I'm not just saying this as a student, but as someone who knows the deal. The people most likely to seek alternatives are the people who don't have as much disposable income. People who have more money and less time are more likely to pay for an adequate product that gives consistent results (not necessarily perfect or even the best).
Now, especially in this day and age where people crucify companies for wanting to protect their IP and at the same time download the programs thy feel they're entitled to, it only make sense to offer those with less of a propensity to purchase the software a discount.
Imagine if all colleges cost $40,000 a year. More people would avoid it altogether and find alternatives.
PlayFair12th Oct 2009
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