[Macworld]

Post your comments for Microsoft quietly raises prices of Mac Office by up to 17 percent here

[HailCaesar]

I dont use it, so I dont care. Its a shame though for the users that do.

[henryhbk]

So basically without giving me anything new (I don't need online not-so-great versions of office) they are simply charging me A LOT more for 2 year old software that I already have a lot of and often need more as our office gets more staff.

[RicD]

Well that does it, we here will not upgrade to the next version nor the one after that etc. etc. Until the computer dies we will keep our version, MS Office 2011. Even after that we can transfer it to the next computer. For us it does not make a lick of sense at $140 each upgrading three computers.

[smax013]

All part of the effort to convince you that forking over yearly subscription fees to Micro$oft (so that they can maintain their consistent revenue stream) is the cheaper way to go. Never mind that the moment you stop paying everything you previously spent is essentially money down the toilet (and yes, I strongly dislike subscription models for things like software).

[TONYOR]

Having used MS's Office Suites for the Mac for some time now, I will not be upgrading after Office 2011. In prep for the transition away from Office, I have been using Apache's OpenOffice 3 for the Mac for the last 6 months alongside Office 2011and have found that OpenOffice3 basically does most of what MS Office Suite 2011 does but with a slicker and more user-friendly interface and at little or no cost. Office Suite has become a bloated piece of expensive software and the prospect of buying into a MS subscription service for the rest of my life is clearly unacceptable.

[DVA_Airwolf]

Office 2008 still works a treat in Mountain Lion. The savvy have realised this and/or the existence of OpenOffice for a long time.

The choice is there.

[jowie]

Why do people even consider Microsoft Office on the Mac when you can get the Apple equivalent for less than $60?

[kmfyi]

@TONYOR- thanks for the info on Apache OpenOffice. Although I mainly use Pages, there are a few things that I miss MS Office for (I had 2004 so it went away when OSX came along). I have downloaded OO and will give it a try. Looks like there are some interesting extensions that are also free.

[my2cents]

One has to be a fool to use any MS garbage on the Mac. Even if MS pays me, I wont like their junks to pollute my Mac.

If you had a Ferrari, would you put poops in you passenger seat?

To anyone even contemplate the bad idea of buying MS Office. Try OpenOffice first! It's FREE.

[TxUser]

Another factor not mentioned in the article: Office 2013 for Windows is copy-protected and will only work on one computer. So, you cannot install it on both your desktop and laptop, even if you never use them at the same time, and if your computer breaks or is stolen, you get to buy a new copy of Office, too. The activation mechanism requires Internet access, so people in rural areas may also be out of luck. The next version of Office for Mac will presumably have the same limitations, making Office 365 more attractive... if you don't worry about losing access to all your documents because you miss a payment.

[MacRaven]

Apache OpenOffice is the way to go.
www.openoffice.org
I install it in every computer I set up for clients. I tell them try this free option before you spend all that money thinking you need MSOffice because you think you need MSWord. If you really need it then go get it later. So far, no one has asked for it. And installing it is risk free because you have no money to lose if it doesn't work out, but the majority of people will find OpenOffice is all they need if for some reason if Apple's iWork suite isn't their cup of tea.

[leicaman]

It's called the Microsoft tax.

It's taxing to use Microsoft, so they figure you're already a masochist.

[icerabbit]

MS raising prices for existing software is insulting. Just another push for the subscription licenses and the online tools.

So, here's another solid vote for OpenOffice.

I used to be a die-hard MS Office user, but MS cured that addiction. I keep one system current for incoming and outgoing compatibility with people who insist / demand / don't know any better than use the default .x files. I sincerely doubt I will update that Office 2010 system again. What's the point? The only chance would be if they allowed me to create my own toolbars again but they made it worse with an all white retro metro UI - and - I can carry the license forward to another system in case of an upgrade or hardware failure. Word on the internet is that you can't move your license to another system.

Most people, especially those that got into computers in the era before the internet, equated getting a computer with producing some documents and keep track of some numbers. For many that meant Word & Excel / MS Office or a competitors suite. I loved to get updates as it brought new features, made certain things easier and increased productivity. Fast forward to 2007 with the "ribbon". Yes, novice computer users can more easily find their way to produce some documents; but people with less flexible minds were lost and advanced users were left scrambling without quick access to their tools and custom interfaces. I still can't figure out how in the world that little stupid strip in the menu bar became your custom toolbar. Anyhow, it was at that time that I started to look more closely into other office suites and quickly settled on OpenOffice. OO doesn't have all the MS Office bells and whistles, but it has a familiar interface. As you transition, you may need to look up a few things and you may encounter a few quirks - like they left highlight color preferences out recently on the mac version and auto-selections in spreadsheets and auto-complete are less smart - but for the average user's basic needs, it gets the job done. No problems installing it on an older computer, on more than one system. Intermediate needs? No problem.

So I have been telling everyone to consider OO for years. It is an ongoing thing with people wanting to upgrade Word or Office, getting another license, upgrading computers ... and I tell everyone to at least evaluate OO, and then decide. Two people last week did, instead of getting a newer version of Word.

This post has been edited by icerabbit: 19 February 2013 - 09:21 AM