Computer Hope

Other => Computer News => Topic started by: Computer Hope Admin on April 02, 2010, 06:15:15 PM

Title: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: Computer Hope Admin on April 02, 2010, 06:15:15 PM
Microsoft has a new plan to make more money from Office: give it away.

With Office 2010, one of the biggest changes is how many ways there are to get Microsoft's most profitable software program for free.

In addition to the free, browser-based Office Web Apps, Microsoft is also offering PC makers the ability to install a basic version of Office on new computers. The new program, Office Starter, includes a stripped-down version of Word and Excel. PC makers, retailers and Microsoft can all make money if the PC buyer later upgrades to a paid version of Office.

Link (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20001553-56.html)
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: patio on April 02, 2010, 07:27:48 PM
I also heard their new business model for Office was going to be Free...ad-based ala google...
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: soybean on April 03, 2010, 08:03:49 AM
As I understand it, MS will be working with PC makers to have a free, stripped-down version of Office , called Office Starter, installed on new PCs.  But, the full version will not be free.  Users can easily upgrade from Office Starter to a full version.

The new focus on web-based Office apps is what I found particularly interesting.  For example, two persons at very different locations would be working together on a spreadsheet application where both parties are viewing and updating the spreadsheet via their web browser.
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: BC_Programmer on April 03, 2010, 11:03:15 AM
The new focus on web-based Office apps is what I found particularly interesting.  For example, two persons at very different locations would be working together on a spreadsheet application where both parties are viewing and updating the spreadsheet via their web browser.

This is interesting because a large number of there less "common" products feature extensive multi-user and networked operation modes. For example Visual Studio has been able to debug processes on other machines (Which I imagine is how a 3-d game would be debugged) Not quite the same as what you mentioned but still rather complicated to implement.
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: TechGeek on April 03, 2010, 12:11:43 PM
This would be great because I could stop using WordPad. I think this is great for Microsoft because the people who would buy it will buy a full version either way.
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: JJ 3000 on April 04, 2010, 06:42:55 AM
This would be great because I could stop using WordPad.

Have you heard of open office?
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: Computer Hope Admin on April 07, 2010, 04:16:23 PM
Open Office and Google Docs is reason Microsoft is doing this. I'm sure these are both eating at their profits.
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: patio on April 07, 2010, 06:59:12 PM
All i can say is Open Office has come a long long way...
Anyone who pays for Office is silly...
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: BC_Programmer on April 07, 2010, 07:49:56 PM
All i can say is Open Office has come a long long way...
Anyone who pays for Office is silly...

Well...

Open Office has no equivalent for Access.
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: kpac on April 08, 2010, 07:55:49 AM
Quote
Anyone who pays for Office is silly...
Not when you can get Office Enterprise for ~$100. ;D
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: michaewlewis on April 13, 2010, 09:36:41 AM
All i can say is Open Office has come a long long way...
Anyone who pays for Office is silly...

Last I checked, Calc came nowhere near where Excel 2007 is. (It was pretty close to Excel 2003, though.)
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: soybean on April 13, 2010, 12:05:21 PM
Not when you can get Office Enterprise for ~$100. ;D
What's that?  Here are the versions of MS Office: Office suites (http://www.microsoftstore.com/s/office?WT.mc_id=pointitsem_ad_office_generic_versions&WT.srch=1&WT.term=microsoft+office+versions&WT.campaign=492&WT.source=google&WT.medium=cpc&WT.content=1278940&cshift_ck=1829360765cs1278940&WT.srch=1)

If Office Enterprise exists, where does fit in the spectrum of Office versions?  And, where can you get it for ~$100? 

Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: kpac on April 13, 2010, 12:49:44 PM
Quote
If Office Enterprise exists, where does fit in the spectrum of Office versions?
It's pretty much Office Ultimate plus Office Communicator.

Quote
And, where can you get it for ~$100?
http://www.software4students.ie/Microsoft_Office_Enterprise_2007-details.aspx
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: soybean on April 13, 2010, 01:07:02 PM
Well, you did not clearly state a key fact here.  Your source if for academically priced software.  The price for commercial customers is much higher.
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: kpac on April 13, 2010, 01:22:02 PM
Quote
Well, you did not clearly state a key fact here.
No one asked.

Quote
The price for commercial customers is much higher.
That's fairly obvious.
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: soybean on April 13, 2010, 01:46:04 PM
It wasn't the least bit obvious from your previous post.  Your post neither explicitly stated or implied that you were talking about student pricing.  And, since most students would not be buying an Enterprise edition of Office, it's just not sensible to think we should assume you were talking about academic priced software.  I know that local college bookstores from several colleges do not sell an Enterprise version; the Professional version is what is normally sold by them.
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: BC_Programmer on April 13, 2010, 04:47:46 PM

It wasn't the least bit obvious from your previous post.  Your post neither explicitly stated or implied that you were talking about student pricing.  And, since most students would not be buying an Enterprise edition of Office, it's just not sensible to think we should assume you were talking about academic priced software.  I know that local college bookstores from several colleges do not sell an Enterprise version; the Professional version is what is normally sold by them.

Geez...

All he said is that it's not silly to pay for Office when it's ~100$.

Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: soybean on April 13, 2010, 04:52:50 PM
I take ~100$ to mean approximately $100.  Unless you're qualified to buy at academic pricing, you'll have to pay much more, which would be the case for the majority of buyers.  That's my point. 
Title: Re: Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
Post by: BC_Programmer on April 13, 2010, 04:57:25 PM
let me rephrase....

in response to patio he said it's not silly to pay for office when it they can get it for ~100$.