Office 2019 Won't Be Last Of Its Kind
Microsoft is releasing a new "buy it once" version of Office. It's a surprise follow-up to Office 2019 and is an alternative to the ongoing subscription of Office 365.
Right now very little is known about the new product as it's only come to light through a single line in a blog post that's otherwise about business tools Microsoft Exchange. That line reads:
"Microsoft Office will also see a new perpetual release for both Windows and Mac, in the second half of 2021." (Source: microsoft.com)
A perpetual release is another way of saying that users only have to pay once to purchase the software and can then use it forever. That's in contrast to the Office 365 model where users pay an ongoing subscription and get more frequent updates with new and improved features.
Office 2019 Support Time-Limited
Office 2019 is under a limited support model that means Microsoft promised to offer mainstream support (feature updates and free help) until October 2023 but will then only offer extended support (security fixes and paid help) until October 2025.
Many tech analysts had expected Office 2019 would be the last standalone edition, with the logic being that as it got older, more customers would make the switch to Office 365. This news suggests Microsoft has concluded some people still prefer one-off purchases and will splash out for a new edition.
Pricing And Content A Mystery
The scant detail leaves plenty of questions, such as whether the new version will only be available for a flat fee or if existing Office 2019 users will get a discounted upgrade offer as used to happen with Windows itself.
There's no word on the pricing or indeed the name of the new package. Given the scheduled release date, it would seem highly likely it will be Office 2022. (Source: neowin.net)
Microsoft is also yet to confirm exactly what applications will be part of the new package and whether it will incorporate all updates and tweaks released for both Office 2019 and Office 365.
What's Your Opinion?
Do you use Office 2019? Is a one-off purchase model still viable or is a subscription the way to go? Will Office 2019 users bother getting the new edition?
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Comments
I still use 2010 ...
There is a good chance I will buy 2022 when it comes out, to replace 2010.
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Why even bother suggest a discounted "upgrade" license. MS dropped that option back in 2013. There isn't a hope in a hot place that MS will bring back that money losing offer. Frankly, I would be disappointed, but not surprised if they increased the price.
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I will be interested to see which current "new" 365 features are included.
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I'm not too surprised to see one more generation of one-time payment. There still are enough people who don't have high (enough) speed internet connections to support 365.
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I am a little surprised you have not mentioned the problem that some 365 users have been encountering for the last month or so. MS is 'sneaking' in a (dis)"improvement" that forces 365 users to sign in if the computer is connected to the internet. If you don't, your installation is completely deactivated. If you unplug, it works just fine, without the cloud / A.I. features (as expected).
Re Office 2019
I use O 20219 and like it a lot.
I don't see any reason to buy O 365
I use Office 365 at home and
I use Office 365 at home and Office 2019 at work. Frankly, I like Office 2019 much better because they cut out many things in 365 that a power Office user like myself needs at work.
Add Me to the 2010 Version
add my name to the 2010 version of Office. why should I purchase a "new and improved' version to do word processing, spreadsheets and publisher/power points? I rarely use those items now with the 2010 version and any "new and improved" junk added to the package merely increases the memory and storage use. not to mention why should I pay more money to get exactly what I was using in an older version? Office 385? pay money every month to use programs that can be purchased once and done. makes little sense to me. of course, Microsoft NEEDS to sell these packages more often than once or their profit margin will quickly evaporate.
Microsoft Office
Personally I use OpenOffice for my spreadsheet needs. It also meets all of my needs for any Microsoft Office files. I have an old (2000?) version of Microsoft Office installed just in case some file won't open in OpenOffice. Since Microsoft Office went to the confusing and worthless "banner" menu style, I won't own something newer. So count me as one who won't be using Office 365 or any other version any time soon. On top of that, OpenOffice is free and will do almost anything Microsoft Office does - except Access which I don't need or use.
I do any word processing in a spreadsheet as Word insists on editing my files and spacing for me. No thanks.