Office 365 questions

I'm looking to upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro in a couple months from 7 from my school (I've been playing around with 8.1 Pro Preview and it has really grown on me). I plan to buy a new tablet soon. Either a Surface RT or an Atom with Wacom Digitizer Tablet, depends on if Microsoft announces any gen 2 Surfaces soon or not.

I've gotten from my school Office 2007 Enterprise and a little over a year ago Office 2010 Pro Plus. Of course I don't need InfoPath and SharePoint. Those are the only suites I've never used actually. Unfortunately it seems like my school isn't getting any special volume licenses of 2013 which I'd like to get for some of the extra excel features and better touch support (I plan to RDP to my laptop from my tablet when I need more performance or certain programs). I know RT comes with Office RT, but if I get some Atom tablet I'll need to install Office (which I do have the discs still, but like I said, would rather have 2013 for touch support).

I saw from Microsoft.com what seemed like an amazing deal. Office 365 University consisting of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook, Access, OneNote, more SkyDrive storage, and Skype minutes all for $80 for a 4 year subscription.

Is Office 365 the exact same as Office 2013? Is it the full versions of the suites? Is there an option for 32bit or 64bit installation? If you use an Office 365 subscription, what do you think?

Thanks for the help!

 

Office 365 is a subscription edition of Office 2013 and future Offices (2016 and beyond). The main difference is that if you're subscribed to Office 365 and then MS released Office 2016, you automatically get the Office 2016 as long as your subscription hasn't expired yet. However, if you get Office 2013 then you get a perpetual license for it on 1 computer at a time. When Office 2016 comes, you have to purchase another perpetual license for it unlike Office 365. Basically, it's just licensing terms.

For Office 365 University, if you have a friend with an school edu email, just ask him to sign up for Office 365 University and you get the amazing deal. The difference between Office 365 editions are found here: Microsoft Office 365 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

IMO, Office 365 Home Premium is only worth it if and only if you have 5 computers for which Office 2013 is needed.

Also, if you're worried about working offline with Office 365, you don't have to worry about it. Office 365 completely works offline. It only checks for your subscription status once a month. See this link: Using Office 365 Offline - Manage Office 365 - Office 365 - Microsoft Office 365 Community http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_365hp-word/does-office-365-require-a-constant-internet/f3facf17-df53-49da-8e82-205c11d6e314

 

Well, I am a student, in my last year actually. I have two different usable .edu emails from different schools. So, I'm only considering Office 365 University edition. And the need is for up to 2 computers which seems like the basic 2013 doesn't allow if it is only for 1. And I the link you provided says for 2 computers which sounds perfect. And I didn't know that if a new version is released, I get it. Basically you confirmed all I needed to know, thank you.

 

They do have discount for Office 2013 students did you try looking into that? That cost alot less then a Office 2013 retail version. You could buy two license for two computers at student discount which is alot better then 365 paying every year if you no longer student. You can always reinstall Office 2013 and pay only once not multiple times. Remember to read that reply there it locks to one computer or that specific computer so getting 365 isn't a worth while cost to have. If you can't move your 2013 to another computer and instead have to buy full office 2013 and no longer student your up a creek. So buying Student 2013 now will save you more in the long run and allow you to go to different computer should the need come 365 doesn't allow you such measures.

 

Now, I could be wrong since it has been a while since I checked, but the student deal is 2 installs of 2013 + a 4 years 365 sub, all for less than 100$ IIRC. The most awesome deal was buying 3010 university right before 2013 came out though. You could upgrade to 2013 and keep your 3010 license netting you 4 copies of Office for less than 100$.

 

The post right after mine is highly confusing. My understanding is Office 2013 is tied to the computer you install it on, buy a new computer and you have to buy a new copy, unlike previous versions where you could uninstall and install as you like. Office 365 though is device based, I don't know if I can remove from one device and add to another or not but it still allows me 2 computers instead of 1. And the sub is for 4 years so I'd be set. I can't find anything online though that says I have to be connected to the internet to use Office when sub'd to 365. But if it is true, that'd change everything. Also, I cannot find a student discounted version of Office 2013 retail. When I bought 2007 Enterprise and 2010 Pro Plus from my school, it was for under $60.

 

Yes, you can deactivate one device to install on another with Office University:

 

Are you able to use the Office suites while offline? And thanks!

 

Yes...once installed it operates just as Office 2013.

 

Didn't that link also state that it activiates once a month to determine license is valid to use still. In the link provided.

http://community.office365.com/en-us/forums/148/t/85123.aspx

But to tijo reply here is what the rep also replies back in the same link thread..

So I think what their selling is also a confusing product as well. I buy the package once since my institution gets big discount saves me time to install and internet required to download/install the Office 365 when I have Office 2013 Enterprise on DVD to install whenever/wherever. IMO

 

Sorry...too simplistic an answer on my part, yes it Activates/Confirms Subscription Once a month, but does not need an Internet Connection for normal use....so it isn't a Web App, it is available for use offline as long as once a month it can verify the activation.

 

Activate Office 2013 programs - support - Office.com

 

All this just to use 365...is more headache then one needs to install and run the app to use. Install once from DVD register key and not more internet checks...that was faster and easier. More in cost possibly depending what version you get or student version. But alot less having to verify each time your ownership of the software.

 

The check does allow for more flexibility as you are able to deactivate installs and move them to other machines from the O365 Web Site without needing to talk to a MS Rep.

 

Well, everyone has been helpful. I'll definitely be getting Office 365 University once I upgrade to 8. Once a month internet checks are more than fair, especially since I am connected to the internet 99.9% of the time.

 

OpenOffice works great for free. Though it doesn't have an Email program. Anyone know of a good replacement for Outlook? I've always had Outlook so I have no clue what's out there.

 

I have friends using Thunderbird. Regarding OpenOffice and LibreOffice, they're great for the basic stuff, but MS Office is often required for the sake of compatibility with your job or university. At least in my experience.

 

Agreed. Yes MS has tied it into everything: sharepoint, skydrive, etc for organizations. For stand-alone OO works great. Think I use 15-25% of the features available.
After 20 years of MSO though I just can't justify it anymore.
Thanks for the recommendation. Motivated now to look into other email programs.

 

For someone that doesn't need MS Office because firework work/school, OO is indeed a nice alternative, especially given how expensive MS Office can be. For a university student though, it's actually not too expensive and allows for maximum compatibility most of the time.

Personally, I use the e-mail client integrated in Opera 12, but that particular browser is kind of a dead end, Opera 15 has moved to Google's engine and they've split the browser and mail client which is now Opera Mail, you could look at that one too. I haven't given it a shot, I'm sticking to Opera 12 because 15 is lacking in built-in features compared to 12.

 

I almost bombed Biology because I tried using OpenOffice to do the worksheets the professor gave us, which were done with Word. After the fourth time she commented that my returned work was missing parts due to OpenOffice never rendering it, I switched to Office 2013 and got an A in the class.

 

That is what I notice when my nephew tried to type formula equations it instead couldn't tell that how you type was what you wanted to show and instead it tried to calculate the formula which messed up what they were trying to only type the formula for display not to figure it out. That is the biggest flaw in OO inability to recognize when a formula is a formula and when it should calc a formula. That can cause confusion and loss time fixing the problem when papers are due and you didn't see release what happened.

 

Just to be fair Student Office is not that expensive to get for Student Discount as well...so keep that in mind...you may not think you will never be offline but things change...so don't think it can't happen.

 

Sorry to hear that. But you made it!

MSO 2010 actually has some really big problems with text vs. formula. Actually it has more problems than just that. I'm done complaining, beating a dead horse. They've moved on.

I've heard 2013 is better. It has to be now - Subscription $$'s.

Anyway, as always - check your work.

 

Well, I no longer plan to subscribe to Office 365. My University finally volume licensed Office 2013 Professional Plus and they sell it for $90 a license. And best of all, terms of the license allow installing on two machines. And just like all previous Office versions they sold, the license converts to a perpetual one when you graduate (meaning I'd own it). Office 365 would probably be the better choice as the terms are the same and considering 365 would most likely net me the next office and cost $10 cheaper. But if I don't work anywhere offering Office on the discount, I'd rather be using 2013 for the next 10+ years and not pay a cent more.

 

If you can get standalone for 90$, go for it I say.