I have supported many businesses including an entire University, mom and pops shops and mid-sized businesses. About 70% of these people need Word and Email. Another 20% need spreadsheets. Less than 5% need a database. The other 5% are uber-nerds like me who dont really *need* the other stuff but could do it if we really had a reason to.. which.. we dont.
The only reason I have upgraded Office for users in the last 9 years is because the version they had wasnt available anymore and they couldnt open their word files that people had sent them as an attachment. Period.
Not ONE person of the literally hundreds I have supported have EVER said to me.. "Hay! That new Office has that I would really like, please upgrade me!"
What I get a lot more of is "I wish they wouldnt change this, I was doing just fine before they changed
Strange how most everyone was happy with what they had but were generally forced to buy something they didnt really want.
The cycle goes like this..
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*Figure out some new whiz-bang for marketing.
*Create new version which for some reason just dosent seem to work with the older versions.
*Stop selling the older versions.
*Wait for users to find incompatabilities between new and old version.
*Watch people upgrade.
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People need email and word.
Some people need spreadsheets.
A few people need databases.
Nobody I support needs, wants, or really cares about the rest of it.
It has been this way since Office 97.
It will be this way till Office End Of World, now with transendental document sharing (not compatible with previous versions)
Discussion on:
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