Have you ever bought a new desktop or laptop and it has come bundled with heaps of software that is useless, nags you to pay for a subscription or perhaps both? Admitedly, the first thing I do in such cases is format the hard drive and reinstall Windows. Sure, it’s a bit of work but I appreciate having a clean system and knowing what exactly is installed from scratch.
Anyway, one particular piece of bundled software that I have only ever used out of absolute desperation on other people’s computers is Microsoft Works. The suite is comprised of basic word processor, spreadsheet and database applications that bear little resemblance or compatibility with their Microsoft Office equivalents. By the way, I use the term “equivalent” as loosely as possible.
So what is going to fill the void?
Microsoft is planning to bring in a new version of Microsoft Office in its 2010 line-up, namely Microsoft Office Starter 2010. It will be ad-supported and include stripped down versions of Excel and Word. The Reference, Review and View tabs will be missing from the ribbon but will have a subset features reallocated in the Home tab to compensate. On the down side, if you are after Access, Outlook or PowerPoint then you will still need to shell out for the fully fledged versions of Office (or look into using the free Office Web Apps suite when it becomes available). However, to make this an easy activity, there will be a purchase button in the top right hand corner of both starter applications.
I’m sure this will be an improvement for those who are after basic functionality as they will be able to receive an experience similar to Microsoft Office without the price tag. Users will be able to do the basics and share documents more easily with those using regular Microsoft Office products. Still, it won’t stop me from removing it if it comes on any computers that I purchase in the future.
Just a reminder, if you are a student you can pick up Office 2007 Ultimate (with a free upgrade to Office 2010 when it is released) at It’s Not Cheating for $75. Be smart with your hard-earned cash!
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