Microsoft Office 365 --- seeking advice

[theo]

In our household there is a desktop (with Windows 7 as OS) which has Microsoft Office 365, which I only very vaguely recall purchasing (at Best Buy).
Just got a (legitimate) email on that computer from Microsoft seeking to extract $99.99 for "renewal" of Office 365 for another year.

Family users of that computer routinely use MS Word for document preparation and, on very rare occasion, Excel for spreadsheets and calculations.
Nothing else in the Office "suite" is (...or likely ever will be) utilized.

My question is this; rather than get hit up for $100 every 365 days by Microsoft, is there an "off the shelf", loadable software product (Microsoft or compatible), that I can purchase that is just Word (or equivalent) and Excel (or equivalent), which can retroactively access and use and change and store anew Word and Excel files --- and which does not involve or require this annual ransom message and unwelcome, unintended "communication relationship" with Microsoft?

 

[Ty1on]

I'm a heavy user of Office and use the Pro version. It sounds like this free product might be the trick for your needs:

http://www.openoffice.org/

 

[Sandy]

I am in a similar situation

I bought the 365 product when I was teaching, thus getting the education cost. I am no longer teaching, so when my renewal comes through I am sure that they will try to extract the highest cost from me.

My desktop has Windows 7, and I am hesitant to update to Windows 10 because I never really learned 7! My laptop was using Windows Vista :hysterical: and it was slowly dying.

I recently bought a Google chromebook which I LOVE. It cost around $250, updates itself, is easy to learn, and I don't really have to be bothered with windows products again.

I am able to use their version of Word (Google Docs) and other products similar to excel, power point, etc. I couldn't be happier. It is fast, most everything gets loaded to the cloud, although I can save some stuff on the chromebook itself or on a flashdrive. Battery life is 10+ hours a day.

I realize that this is not a direct answer to your questions, but facing the similar situation this is what I did. Hope this is some help with another option. Lots of stuff on the chromebook (there are many vendors and I got the Acer version) if you look at youtube. As a recent retiree, this will work for me. I just want to be able to continue writing and the google docs works fine. I am learning how best to use its many features. For the low cost, it can't be beat. There are higher cost versions out there, of course.

 

[SMHarman]

Google docs spreadsheet and wordprocessing is likely sufficient

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

 

[Passepartout]

I use Open Office for my meager needs. Ty linked in post 2. Works fine and is free.

Jim

 

[theo]

<snip> I recently bought a Google chromebook which I LOVE. It cost around $250, updates itself, is easy to learn, and I don't really have to be bothered with windows products again.

I am able to use their version of Word (Google Docs) and other products similar to excel, power point, etc. I couldn't be happier. It is fast, most everything gets loaded to the cloud, although I can save some stuff on the chromebook itself or on a flashdrive. Battery life is 10+ hours a day. <snip>

Thanks for the input, but with dozens of Word documents apparently stored on flash drives, their goal and intent is to be able to always be able to access (and update or change and store again) any and all of those MS Word documents in the future; I'm not sure that your particular approach as described above achieves or allows that specific objective.

 

[theo]

I use Open Office for my meager needs. Ty linked in post 2. Works fine and is free.

Jim

Can it access / read and allow changes to and then store revisions of files and documents previously prepared in MS Word?

 

[Ty1on]

Thanks for the input, but with a dozens of Word documents apparently stored on flash drives, I think their intent is to be able to always be able to access (and update or change) any and all of those document in the future; I'm not sure that your particular approach as described above would achieves their objective.

You can open Word and Excel docs in Open Office. I haven't used Google Docs, but I'm pretty sure you can open them with that, too.

 

[PigsDad]

Can it access / read and allow changes to and then store revisions of files and documents previously prepared in MS Word?

Yes, it is extremely compatible w/ MS Office. Try it -- it is free. If for some reason it doesn't work for you, you have lost nothing but a bit of time.

Kurt

 

[theo]

Thanks; I appreciate the input. I will try Open Office, as I have no intentions of sending Microsoft another dime for a product I already purchased once at retail price.

 

[Makai Guy]

Another option: LibreOffice

Somewhere around the year 2000 Sun Microsystems bought out an office suite called StarOffice and released it as an open source project called OpenOffice. I think I started using it around 2005 or so. It could read and write Microsoft-formatted files and was mostly compatible with Microsoft Office (with some really irritating incompatibilities). As the software was further developed by Sun and some dedicated volunteers it evolved, got easier to use, and many of the minor incompatibilities with MS stuff got worked out.

Oracle purchased Sun around 2010 or so, and work on OpenOffice was discontinued. Most of the independent developers on the project moved on to a new suite called LibreOffice, based on the last open source OpenOffice codebase. After it had been around for a while I switched to LibreOffice, as it had by then advanced beyond the last static OpenOffice release. I've been using LibreOffice ever since.

I mostly use the word processor and spreadsheet modules, with infrequent use of the presentation graphics module. I keep telling myself that someday I'll learn to use the database module. I generate a fairly complex newsletter for my Academy for Lifelong Learning every month, first using OpenOffice, and now LibreOffice. I primarily save files in each module's open document format, but can save in a Microsoft-readable format if I need to share with someone with only MS stuff available. (Current Microsoft products can also read/write in open document formats, but may not support all of its less-basic features.)

Eventually, Oracle turned over the OpenOffice.org trademarks and code base to the non-profit Apache Foundation, which is probably best known for its Apache HTTP server used by the vast majority of web servers around the world (including this one). So the old OpenOffice is now Apache OpenOffice.

Derived from the same original code base, today's OpenOffice and LibreOffice are, not surprisingly, fairly similar. Since I was already at that point using and familiar with LibreOffice I've continued to use it as, after reading reviews, I saw no compelling reason to switch.

Both are free, both read and write files compatible with Microsoft products, and both are still being maintained and developed. From what I've read LibreOffice receives more attention and more frequent updates.

http://www.libreoffice.org/

 

[Ken555]

I will try Open Office, as I have no intentions of sending Microsoft another dime for a product I already purchased once at retail price.

Welcome to the new world of software licensing. If you were reliant on Office and weren't interested in changing (many people aren't) the new payment options aren't necessarily bad. If you only have one computer, you can buy it for as little as $50 (retail $70). The $100 version you have actually has more than you need, since it includes the right to install it on multiple computers and mobile devices for the same user. The Personal version allows you to install it on one tablet or phone, as well. I've found Amazon often sells license key cards for less than the online price (MS retail prices: https://products.office.com/en-us/buy/office, and http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Office-Personal-Subscription-Download/dp/B00IT6WQDQ is where I found the $50 option (click on the Key Card option)).

The prime advantage of paying for Office is that you will automatically have the ability to download the latest version as they are released without paying anything additional and budget for a modest annual payment rather than a large one at once. The retail version is approximately 3x the cost of the subscription and they typically release a new version every few years (though I suspect that will increase in order to keep the value of the subscription model more apparent to all). They may also no longer support as many older versions as they once did. The days of using software for five or more years is coming to an end, though there will always be exceptions.

I don't usually advocate Microsoft products, but Office 365 for this purpose is actually a fairly good deal. It's especially good if you want to view and/or edit your documents on a mobile device since it includes 1TB of online cloud storage and easy access to your files from anywhere. FWIW, the iPad Excel and Word apps are not bad and included.

You can find alternative solutions, some of which are quite good. But if you want to keep what you know, it's going to cost something and I'd suggest that $70/year is a reasonable price to pay for reliability (as low as $50 on Amazon, it seems, though be sure to select "Key Card" or else you will buy the $70 download version).




Sent from my iPad

 

[theo]

Thanks again for all the informed feedback; it is much appreciated. My own personal background and knowledge level in this particular arena is firmly (and probably permanently) entrenched somewhere squarely between "very little" and "almost none".

 

[zinger1457]

You can get Office Home and Student 2013 for not much more than $100 and it will give you what you need (Word and Excel). Extended support for that product ends in 2023 so you'll have 8 years of use without having to dish out additional money. I use Office 2010 that I picked up through my job for $20 a few years ago. It has all the features I need so I'll continue using it for at least another 5 years when extended support for it ends.

 

[pspercy]

I use LibreOffice.

Bit of history: http://www.howtogeek.com/187663/ope...hats-the-difference-and-which-should-you-use/

Sun gave away OpenOffice with any sale, supposedly purely to p*ss off Bill Gates, they'd bought it (as StarOffice) from its author, a German student, for $70million or so. Have to remember MS Office still had lots of competition back then.

 

[dioxide45]

I have Open Office installed on our laptops but use MS Office 2013 at work and have used MS office since the 97 days. Open Office reminds me of Office 2000 or older. I find it slow and clunky. If you are used to the tools and using the newer versions of MS Office, finding the similar tools in Open Office can be time consuming and frustrating.

I am considering an Office 360 subscription and scrapping Open Office. Open Office is okay for the novice user, but anyone using it with any frequency who also uses MS Office would be better just to spring for MS Office.

 

[Blues]

I have Open Office installed on our laptops but use MS Office 2013 at work and have used MS office since the 97 days. Open Office reminds me of Office 2000 or older. I find it slow and clunky. If you are used to the tools and using the newer versions of MS Office, finding the similar tools in Open Office can be time consuming and frustrating.

I am considering an Office 360 subscription and scrapping Open Office. Open Office is okay for the novice user, but anyone using it with any frequency who also uses MS Office would be better just to spring for MS Office.

Sounds like an endorsement for Open Office to me. MS has bloated Office, particularly Word, so badly in the last 10 years that I find it very hard to use. Give me the old, simpler interface any day.

YMMV,
Bob

 

[Ken555]

Sounds like an endorsement for Open Office to me. MS has bloated Office, particularly Word, so badly in the last 10 years that I find it very hard to use. Give me the old, simpler interface any day.



YMMV,

Bob

I don't get this. Yes, there are plenty of features none of us use (at all, or regularly) in Word. But, it's fairly fast these days on Windows or Mac, comprehensive in capabilities (even if you don't use them all), and very easy to get started. Whenever I get a new version (and that's not so long ago for me, since I use the Mac edition) I invariably have to resort to the help system for a few questions but within 15 minutes I'm back up and running fairly well.

The fact that we only use 1-2% of the features they include with the program doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad choice.

For my business, and my professional opinion to clients, is to use commercially supported applications. If you aren't using applications in a commercial setting, then it's not as important. For what it's worth, I have never had a prospect or client opt for LibreOffice or OpenOffice.


Sent from my iPad

 

[Ty1on]

I don't get this. Yes, there are plenty of features none of us use (at all, or regularly) in Word. But, it's fairly fast these days on Windows or Mac, comprehensive in capabilities (even if you don't use them all), and very easy to get started. Whenever I get a new version (and that's not so long ago for me, since I use the Mac edition) I invariably have to resort to the help system for a few questions but within 15 minutes I'm back up and running fairly well.

The fact that we only use 1-2% of the features they include with the program doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad choice.

For my business, and my professional opinion to clients, is to use commercially supported applications. If you aren't using applications in a commercial setting, then it's not as important. For what it's worth, I have never had a prospect or client opt for LibreOffice or OpenOffice.


Sent from my iPad

I get where he's coming from....when they first rolled out the Ribbon, it killed me to have to re-learn the entire menu tree. Now that I'm used to it, though, I prefer it over multiple clicks on the old menu tree to get to a given item.

 

[Ken555]

I get where he's coming from....when they first rolled out the Ribbon, it killed me to have to re-learn the entire menu tree. Now that I'm used to it, though, I prefer it over multiple clicks on the old menu tree to get to a given item.

Sure, but that was a while ago. And how long did it really take to learn? An hour? I hate to defend Microsoft, but I really don't blame them for trying to improve the product.

For those of you on Mac, Apple's Pages is an excellent, commercially supported, minimalist word processor (and can read/write MS Word files) which performs most, if not all, of the features any of us will likely use.


Sent from my iPad

 

[Ty1on]

Sure, but that was a while ago. And how long did it really take to learn? An hour? I hate to defend Microsoft, but I really don't blame them for trying to improve the product.

For those of you on Mac, Apple's Pages is an excellent, commercially supported, minimalist word processor (and can read/write MS Word files) which performs most, if not all, of the features any of us will likely use.


Sent from my iPad

Nah, it took me weeks. I'm a little slow on the uptake.

 

[ace2000]

Nah, it took me weeks. I'm a little slow on the uptake.

It only took me about two hours, but I'll admit I'm not as smart as Ken. But, evidently I'm a little quicker than you. LOL.

 

[Ken555]

It only took me about two hours, but I'll admit I'm not as smart as Ken. But, evidently I'm a little quicker than you. LOL.

Chronologically, I think two weeks is about right but only an hour or so of total time. I usually need to lookup where the damn button moved when I need it for new versions, but that's about it.


Sent from my iPad

 

[dioxide45]

I still sometimes find myself having to use the Help section to find something that I could have easily found in the older menu tree. After several years on a post 2007 Office application. Though it is very rare now. However, I do find myself liking the new ribbon setup much better than the old menu tree. I think that is perhaps why I am not that fond of Open Office.

I consider myself a power user in Excel and Word, but even still probably only use less than 20% of what is available.

 

[Sandy]

I bought the 365 product when I was teaching, thus getting the education cost. I am no longer teaching, so when my renewal comes through I am sure that they will try to extract the highest cost from me.

My desktop has Windows 7, and I am hesitant to update to Windows 10 because I never really learned 7! My laptop was using Windows Vista :hysterical: and it was slowly dying.

I recently bought a Google chromebook which I LOVE. It cost around $150, updates itself, is easy to learn, and I don't really have to be bothered with windows products again.

I am able to use their version of Word (Google Docs) and other products similar to excel, power point, etc. I couldn't be happier. It is fast, most everything gets loaded to the cloud, although I can save some stuff on the chromebook itself or on a flashdrive. Battery life is 10+ hours a day.

I realize that this is not a direct answer to your questions, but facing the similar situation this is what I did. Hope this is some help with another option. Lots of stuff on the chromebook (there are many vendors and I got the Acer version) if you look at youtube. As a recent retiree, this will work for me. I just want to be able to continue writing and the google docs works fine. I am learning how best to use its many features. For the low cost, it can't be beat. There are higher cost versions out there, of course.

updated to say I actually spent $150 for my chromebook!