A new version of Microsoft Office may be ready for the Mac soon. Is it as important as it used to be?
Apr 06, 2015 For more information about this update, please visit the Microsoft Web site. Applies to: Office 2011, Office 2011 Home and Business Edition, Word 2011, Excel 2011, PowerPoint 2011, Outlook 2011, Office for Mac Standard 2011 Edition, Microsoft Office for Mac Home & Student 2011, and Microsoft Office for Mac Academic 2011. Microsoft Office for Mac adds rich new features to the familiar Office applications you already know, helping you to manage your home and schoolwork the way you want. Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 is licensed for home and student use on 1 (one) Mac and is not intended for commercial use.
Rumor has it that Microsoft is on the cusp of releasing a new version of Office for Mac. It's been more than three years since the last version of Office came out. Things have changed a lot. Is Microsoft Office still important?
Since Office's last major release on the Mac, Apple made a major strategic move to trump Microsoft: It began to include productivity apps as part of the standard suite of software applications included on all new Macs and iOS devices. You used to have to buy iWork apps — Pages, Keynote and Numbers — separately, but now you get them for free.
Those three apps fill in the gaps for some users who need word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software capabilities. There are certainly some benefits, too, such as iCloud support and binary compatibility for documents, making it simple to edit files on your Mac and use them on your iPad, or vice versa.
Other options have emerged, too. Free software alternatives to Office like LibreOffice may still raise eyebrows, but Google has normalized many people to using Google Docs for their productivity software and collaboration needs, for example.
iWork is good, but it's not that good. As I said back in February, 'Almost' isn't good enough. Despite the advances that Apple has made, Microsoft Office still reigns supreme in corporate environments and elsewhere. Many businesses and institutions continue to rely on Office as their standard.
Like most alternative productivity suites, iWork apps try to be good corporate citizens, offering Office file compatibility for import and export, but there's a difference between file compatibility and native file support, and many users of iWork apps and other tools have run into issues with documents just not looking right when they're translated into Office formats.
As I said at the outset, Apple has changed, but so has Microsoft. Much of their focus has been to make Office a subscription-based service rather than a monolithic software suite that gets updated once every few years.
You can still buy Office in a single user version. But Microsoft is following Adobe's Creative Cloud lead, offering an annual subscription with the promise of regular updates, along with other benefits, such as the ability to share one subscription with multiple devices, a free OneDrive cloud service account with 20 GB of storage, free Skype world minutes and more.
Of course, a new version of Office for Mac is only one tantalizing piece of the puzzle. The other is a version of Office that will run on iPads. Microsoft expert Mary Jo Foley suggested in February that an iPad version is coming sooner than people think, perhaps some time in the first half of 2014. A well-integrated Mac and iPad Microsoft Office ecosystem would certainly be fierce competition for Apple, which is still in a rebuilding year after gutting the iWork apps to get them to work more seamlessly across iOS and OS X.
Another piece of the puzzle: Microsoft may bring OneNote to the Mac in the next few weeks. Microsoft's note-taking app is a decade old, but it's not available in Mac native form, leaving the market wide open for competitors like Evernote to dominate.
Office remains one of the best selling software packages for the Mac. Lots of Mac users depend on Office to get their work done, and that's unlikely to change. Office is still front and center for many in the corporate and institutional worlds.
The combination of a new version of Microsoft Office for Mac, Office for iPad and OneNote for Mac suggests that Microsoft still thinks that Apple's platforms are still fertile ground. Even if you don't like Microsoft's products, you have to admit that the company's continued support is a net positive: It makes it easier to justify using Macs and iOS devices in enterprise and reduces friction for users who want to effortlessly produce documents that their non-Apple using colleagues can work.
To answer my initial question, Microsoft Office's role has changed. It's no longer irreplaceable - fact is, there are a lot of options people can use if they want to produce word processing docs, spreadsheets and attractive presentations. But Office is still a vital and important tool for many of us, and that won't change.
Are you looking forward to a new version of Office for the Mac? Will you migrate to new Office apps for OS X and iOS? Let me know what you think in the comments.
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The best solution for youI've worked with the suite Microsoft Office apps for a long time, and while I've tried other apps, I always come back because of the features and usability. After spending thousands of hours writing, communicating, and collaborating with these apps and services, I know that choosing between Office 2019 and Office 365 isn't easy.Subscription-based
Office 365
One-time purchase
Office 2019
Office 365 is the best option for anyone who needs access to the full range of apps and perks on multiple devices. And, you can share an account with up to six people. Also, it's the only option that offers continuity of updates and upgrades with a low cost of ownership. However, there are monthly or yearly costs, and over time, you may end up paying for features that you'll never use.
Pros
- All apps access
- Multiple people can use across multiple devices
- Free upgrades
- Customer support
- Windows 10, 8.x, 7, and macOS support
Cons
- Monthly or yearly subscription
- Limited functionality if service issues
- New changes may be overwhelming
- Paying for unnecessary features
If you only need the basic features on a single PC, Office 2019 is probably all you need, as it allows you to access the must-have apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, with all the necessary functionalities. However, paying upfront can be pricey, you have to pay again for upgrades, and you don't get extra perks.
Pros
- Popular apps access
- No monthly payments
- Security updates
- Traditional experience
- Windows 10 and macOS support
Cons
- One device per license
- Limited set of features
- Limited to Windows 10 and macOS
- No upgrades
- No customer support
If you're planning to upgrade, or you're new to Microsoft Office, you probably noticed that now you have two options: Office 2019 and Office 365. If you're a little confused about which one to choose, you're not alone. Although both products give you access to the same apps with the latest core features, some significant differences come down to the cost of ownership and list of features (and to be clear, Office 2019 isn't a replacement for Office 365).
Office 2019
Source: Windows Central
Office 2019 is the name that Microsoft is using for the standalone version of its popular suite of office apps. It doesn't require a monthly subscription, meaning that once you go through the one-time purchase, you own the copy forever.
Using this option (also known as the 'perpetual' or 'on-premises' version of Office), you can install the apps on one computer, and you'll get security updates. But you won't be able to upgrade to a follow-up version. This means that you can keep using the version that you purchased for its life-cycle (usually five years) and beyond (without updates), but if you want to access the new features and tools, you'll need to pay full price again.
Also, even though Office 2019 comes with apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook with more improvements than the older version, it only ships with a subset of features and without many of the perks available with an Office 365 subscription. For example, with the 2019 version, you won't find cloud and AI features, along with benefits such as 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage and free monthly credits to make calls to landlines using Skype.
Who should buy Office 2019
Although anyone can purchase Office 2019, this version has been designed for commercial customers with volume licenses in mind who aren't yet ready to transition to a cloud-based version of Office and happen to have specific requirements to use the suite of apps on-premise.
Although anyone can purchase Office 2019, this version has been designed for certain commercial customers.
If you're a regular consumer, this is still (somewhat) a good option if you prefer a more traditional experience. If you plan to install the suite on a single device, don't depend on new features, or you're not ready to start using cloud-based applications, then it's also a solid choice.
Additionally, while you're getting a license for one PC or Mac going down the one-time purchase route, you can install the Office apps on all your mobile devices, but you'll only get some basic features.
Office 2019 comes in two flavors, including 'Office Home & Student 2019' and 'Office Home & Business 2019,' and they're typically priced at $150 and $250 per device, respectively. Office Home & Student 2019 comes with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, while Office Home & Business 2019 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
Also, consider that unlike previous perpetual versions, Office 2019 is only supported on devices running Windows 10 or the three most recent versions of macOS. If you must use the most up-to-date version of Office, and you're still on Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, you have to purchase an Office 365 subscription.
Office 365 features
Source: Windows Central
Office 365 is the name that Microsoft uses for its subscription plan service that offers the same apps available with Office 2019, but with even more apps, features, tools, and other benefits.
Using this option, you'll be paying a monthly or yearly subscription fee giving you access to apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, and others across your devices (PC, Mac, tablet, and phone) as long as only six devices are accessing the account at a time. Also, depending on your subscription plan, you can share the account with up to five additional people for a total of six people with one subscription.
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Perhaps one of the best parts about getting a subscription plan is that you never have to worry about new versions. When you're using Office 365, you'll always be running the most up-to-date version of the apps that Microsoft has to offer. This unlocks regular security updates, improvements, and, more importantly, access to the latest features and tools as soon as they become available.
You also get cloud features, such as real-time collaboration and AI features, to help boost your productivity at home, school, work, and across devices. Also, as part of the bundle, everyone gets 1TB of OneDrive storage (up to 6TB in total when using the Home subscription), Skype minutes to make calls to landlines, and you can contact the support line with any question you may have.
If you need even more storage, in addition to the already 1TB of cloud storage, subscribers can also purchase up to an additional 1TB of OneDrive storage on 200GB increments for an extra $1.99 per month, doubling the total storage up to 2TB (1TB already included with bundled and 1TB additional subscription) in their account for $9.99. This option is only available for Office 365 'Home' and 'Personal' subscribers. However, if you're sharing the account using a Home subscription with other people, only the primary account holder can access the separate full terabyte.
Similar to Office 2019, you can install Office 365 on your mobile devices, but unlike the perpetual version, you'll get access to the complete array of features.
Who should buy Office 365
If you need access to the suite of apps, Office 365 is perhaps your best choice, as it's the only option that ensures continuity of updates and upgrades at a low cost. Also, you get access to all the apps, which you can install on all your devices, including on devices running Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and macOS. (Office 2019 only allows you to use apps on a single computer running Windows 10.)
If you need access to the suite of apps, Office 365 is perhaps your best choice.
The subscription service comes with different plans. If you're the only person using the apps and services, you can purchase the 'Office 365 Personal' plan for $70 a year, which gives you access to the software suite, alongside 1TB of OneDrive storage and Skype minutes.
However, if you're planning to share the account with family members or roommates, you should select the 'Office 365 Home' plan for $100 a year, which allows you to share the apps and benefits with up to six people. Plus, everyone gets their Skype minutes and 1TB of OneDrive storage.
If you choose to buy into a subscription plan, you should purchase the yearly subscription as you'll be spending more money paying the monthly fee.
Will Microsoft Office 2011 For Mac Work With High Sierra
Microsoft even has a free subscription plan for students and teachers using a valid school email address. Using this service, you'll get access to Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, and other school tools for free.
Although Windows 7 has reached the end of support, Microsoft will continue to offer security updates for Office apps until January 2023, but you won't receive new features. Once you upgrade to Windows 10, support will resume with regular security patches, new features, and improvements.
Important: Microsoft is expected to replace Office 365 Personal and Home with the new Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans, which will include even more new features and services, such as Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Family Safety, for the same price. If you purchase the one of the currently available subscriptions right now, you'll be switched automatically to the new plans after April 21, 2020.
So, which should you buy?
Ultimately, it'll depend on your requirements. However, if you'll be using the apps for a long time, purchasing an Office 365 subscription is perhaps your best option, because you get full access to all the apps and perks with low cost of ownership.
Subscription-based
Office 365
Stay productive with the latest features
Office 365 gives you full access to all the apps and perks, such as 1TB OneDrive and Skype minutes. You can also install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other apps on up to six devices, and depending on the subscription, you can share the account with up to six people.
One-time purchase
Office 2019
Pay once and forget it.
Office 2019 comes with all the popular apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, with enough features to get the work done.
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