Why would you take the 'cloud' version when you can still by the product?
As it says US$99/year gets you 5 licenses that will roll through new versions, the box edition at US$140 is only one license and will not update.
Some companies with volume licenses are offering a "HUP" program license that is US$10 for 2 licenses for employees.
The 'cloud' subscription service actually seems better value if you have two or more users or devices you want to install this on. Map it out over a 3-year depreciation period (that is roughly the Office major release cycle period) and it makes sense. For 2 users the 'box' version will cost you USD 280 upfront, while a 3-year subscription will cost you USD 300, and you get various services, Skype and so on with it. For >2 users, you are of course well past break-even.
I suppose MSFT probably has done its homework and knows that the average household has X users of Office. And X must be something >2 I would guess.
I think the bigger question I would pose is, why would you want to shell out any money at all if you have a perfectly fine working copy of Office 2010 (or 2011 on a Mac) installed. Sure, this 365 is probably better, bigger, faster and prettier, but in terms of productivity for the average user, is there USD 8 per month in gains in it....?
Is it really worth it to upgrade to the next available version? I'm still using Word 2000 and don't feel I need to upgrade.
Sorry but what are you talking about?
Incremental upgrades are released every so often (multiple times a year at least); whenever the latest gaping hole in security is discovered or for some other reason.
Major MS Office releases in the past two decades have happened on average every two~three years, with a slowing trend. So it would seem like a safe assumption that if you buy the 'box' version of Office 365, your next big shell-out for a licence will be for be Office 2016 or whatever it will be called then, some 3 years down the line.
Office 95 (=7.0; Aug 1995)
Office 97 (=8.0; Nov 1996)
Office 2000 =9.0; (Jun 1999)
Office XP (=10.0; Jun 2001)
Office 2003 (=11.0; Nov 2003)
Office 2007 (=12.0; Jan 2007)
Office 2010 (=14.0; Jun 2010)
Office 365 (=15.0; Jan 2013)
Last edited by vantastic; 04-02-2013 at 09:19 AM.
Thanks for clarifying, I see what you mean.Sorry the 'upgrade cycle' refereed to the actual cycle of people upgrading rather than MS launching an all new and better version of the same software.
As a user, that seems more sensible I suppose. Perhaps that is part of the MSFT strategy: shorten the effective upgrade cycle by locking users into a subscription service that will push the ugrades onto them no matter what. Since as you illustrate, users don't see the point of shelling out every 3 years or so for a manual 'box' upgrade.
We are in need of getting Office for a bunch of new computers.
For the Office365 Small Business Premiere service it is offered at HK$150 / user per year in HK. However in China it is telling me the cost is CNY ¥780 / user per year.
Anyone know why such a huge cost disparity?
Also, anyone know if I signup in HK, can i install on computers in China?
Last edited by BaconBreadBaker; 26-03-2013 at 03:54 PM.