Topic: Microsoft shows Office 2010

[Clive]

Microsoft has announced the release of a 'technical preview' version of Office 2010.

Though the preview is only available to a few thousand testers, Office 2010 is a departure for Microsoft inasmuch as millions of people will be able to use it for free when it fully launches.

Through Microsoft's Windows Live service, "more than 400 million consumers will have access to Office Web applications at no cost", Microsoft said.

Chris Capossela, senior vice president of the Microsoft Business Division at Microsoft said: "From broadcast and video editing in PowerPoint, new data visualization capabilities in Excel, and co-authoring in Word, we are delivering technology to help people work smarter and faster from virtually any location using any device."

The move to offering Office free and on the web is intended to challenge Google's free, cloud-based product line, which includes Google Docs and Google Calendar.

However, Microsoft will maintain a distinction between its free, web-based offering and the paid-for desktop version of Office 2010.

[sam]

google docs does the job but I'd not want to rely on some online tools... think of the costs in bandwidth - I expect buying site licenses would be cheaper for big corporations.

[Simon]

It would be OK for the occasional Word / Excel docs, as they are usually quite small file sizes, but for anything else, I would have thought the desktop app more suitable.  I'm still on Office 2003. 

[Clive]

Very wise Simon.  Office 2007 is over-complicated, inferior and is not backwards compatible.  Bloatware at its worst!

[chorleydave]

Office 2007 is one of the worse pieces of sh1t to come out of Redmond, probably second only to Windows ME.  I have to use it as it is used at work, but everybody I know at the college is of the same opinion that it is inferior to previous Office offerings, whether it be staff, students or technicians.

In my opinion, Microshaft should have shut up shop after Windows 2000 and Office 2000, everything since then has just been bloated and gimmicky.

[sam]

www.openoffice.org

[GillE]

I'm still with Office 97!  It does me fine, but if I wanted an office suite beyond that which was supplied with a new computer, I'd be with Sam choosing Open Office.

[Clive]

Since Office 2007 is incompatible with Outlook Express I also had to install Office 2000 to get the spell checker to work.  Says it all!! 

[Simon]

Wasn't it in French?

[Clive]

You have a good memory Simon!   

[Simon]

I remember it well. 

[Clive]

 

[chorleydave]

www.openoffice.org

Will it run alongside Office, Sam?  I might just download it and have a look.