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MS Office 2013 Pushing Home Users Toward Subscriptions

Posted by Soulskill on from the deposit-a-nickel-for-every-word-you-type dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Ars reports that Microsoft has announced pricing plans for Office 2013 that include a subscription-based model for home users. There will be a $100/year Home version that can be shared by up to 5 users and a $150/year Small Business version. 'Subscription software of one form or another has proven popular in the enterprise (whether it be cloud services, like Office 365, or subscriptions to desktop software, such as Microsoft's Software Assurance scheme). But so far it's a rarity in the consumer space. Anti-virus software has tried to bully and cajole users into getting aboard the subscription train, but the large number of users with out-of-date anti-viral protection suggests users are resisting. ... As another incentive to subscribe, and one that might leave a bad taste in the mouth, the company says that subscribers will be given unspecified "updates" to add new features and capabilities over the life of their subscription. Perpetual licensees will only get bug fixes and security updates.'"

41 of 349 comments (clear)

  1. Guess I am learning Libre Office by jhoegl · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am not paying a leasing fee for software, thanks.

    1. Re:Guess I am learning Libre Office by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Humorous. If you have to learn libre office you clearly haven't used a word processor before. Microsoft Office is not significantly different (at least older versions) than Libre Office. Unless you've only picked up word processing since 2007 or so and it was with MS Office then you've already got the skill set to use Libre Office. There are just a few slight differences for basic word processing tasks.

    2. Re:Guess I am learning Libre Office by Baldrake · · Score: 5, Informative

      And fortunately you need go no further than TFM to find out that you don't have to. Subscription is just an option. You can still buy outright if you want.

    3. Re:Guess I am learning Libre Office by jhoegl · · Score: 4, Informative

      I am actually talking about scripting and macroing in Libre.

    4. Re:Guess I am learning Libre Office by jhoegl · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It could be complex formulas, or a form in Excel/Calc(Libre Ver)
      It could also be an error checking, a sorting feature, um... what else
      It could be maybe mass email lists, or some other functions like that.
      Macros are pretty useful in Excel if you know what you are doing. I have seen some cool stuff.
      Word... not so much.

    5. Re:Guess I am learning Libre Office by Tough+Love · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Libreoffice spreadsheet macros are nearly identical to Excel now. Not to the point where you could expect some gigantic Excel model to just work, but I doubt you get that even between different versions of Microsoft's product. Writing macros from scratch... it just works. All the same functions are there with the exception of a few really bizarre ones. And Openoffice/Libreoffice has a much nicer implementation of cut and paste than Excel, it works more like cut and paste in a word processor as opposed to the wierdo funky scheme they came up with for Excel. That a big deal for me, I don't want to be thinking about cut and paste oddities when I'm thinking about crunching numbers.

      --
      When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
    6. Re:Guess I am learning Libre Office by v1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You're already leasing it. It's called licensing. The only difference is that you had a one-time payment before, and now they want you to pay continuously.

      They say they're going to add new features, but I don't see how they can add $100 worth of new features every year. Heck, office 2004 still gets my jobs done. I don't see what features they could possibly have added over the last 8 years that would be worth $800.

      The whole pricing thing for apps like this I think is going to do a bubble burst shortly anyway. Who's going to pay $100/yr to lease an app that a cloud app will do for you for $15/yr? I've used Google Docs recently, and while it's not a perfect replacement yet, it's sure a lot cheaper!

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    7. Re:Guess I am learning Libre Office by LordLimecat · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Several years down the road LibreOffice will probably remain an option. Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow.

    8. Re:Guess I am learning Libre Office by drsmithy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's an option now. Several years down the road, who knows?

      Several years down the road, I'd still have the copy of Office bought today.

  2. Good news for Libre Office! by Beardo+the+Bearded · · Score: 3, Informative

    Well then, I'll just leave this here:
    Download Libre Office. $0, $0 a month. I think you can swing it.

    --

    ---
    ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
    1. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by countach74 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Here's the thing: LibreOffice is by far best when you use its native formats. Weird, huh?

    2. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      In the real world, we conduct our business in Office formats. Having LibreOffice do a halfass job of reading them is unacceptable.

    3. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      >Here's the thing: LibreOffice is by far best when you use its native formats. Weird, huh?

      Here's the thing: Normal people who want documents from you don't use LibreOffice's native formats. Weird, huh?

    4. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Having animations, color changing, custom fonts, interactive features, and other things will make your presentation unusable. What you write it in doesn't matter at that point.

    5. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by gmanterry · · Score: 5, Funny

      Let me know when Libre Office doesn't horribly mangle my PPTX files.

      I believe that any MS file format that contains an 'X' in the extension is experimental and that is most likely why Libre Office has a problem. Use another file format and you probably won't have any problems.

      --
      Since when is "public safety" the root password to the Constitution?
    6. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      In real work we use Libre Office to convert old WordPerfect and Microsoft Office files to a newer version. It handles old Microsoft Office files better than the recent versions of Microsoft Office.

      ( I work as digital archivist / documentalist )

    7. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by smpoole7 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      > In the real world

      ... with a bad economy, with money tight, most businesses are looking for a way to trim a buck. Just because your particular firm isn't willing to spend the (minimal, in most cases) effort on a migration that will literally save your company tons of money, don't think that all of us think that way. We certainly don't.

      Look: that argument was compelling up until just a few years ago. I'll grant you that, especially back in the old StarOffice days (gack, gag), then on to OpenOffice.org. But speaking for myself -- freely admitting that your mileage will vary -- I haven't had trouble opening anything in LibreOffice for a couple of years now. Including some fairly sweet PPT presentations.

      Besides, Microsoft has tried to introduce the "subscription" model before. They'll probably back off of it after they get deluged with complaints. Again.

      (Or -- this is my real fear -- they'll go after things like Libre and KOffice with the patent hammer.)

      --
      Cogito, igitur comedam pizza.
    8. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That, ladies and gentlemen, is pretty much a textbook example of sour grapes.

      Slashdotter #1: "My software can do everything your software can do."
      Slashdotter #2: "Your software can't do x."
      Slashdotter #1: "Yeah, but... but... doing x is stupid anyway, and only for losers!"

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    9. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by LordLimecat · · Score: 3, Informative

      ... with a bad economy, with money tight, most businesses are looking for a way to trim a buck. Just because your particular firm isn't willing to spend the (minimal, in most cases) effort on a migration that will literally save your company tons of money, don't think that all of us think that way. We certainly don't.

      The last few times I tried that, apparently the users got sufficiently pissed with OpenOffice's oddities that they just went out and purchased Office 2007 anyways. Being a technical guy, I can put up with a fair bit of grief before I loose my cool at my computer; apparently your average accounting / legal employee tends to be much less tolerant of that kind of change.

      So the best of luck to you, but dont be surprised when those savings turn out not to be worth it to the CEO.

    10. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by humanrev · · Score: 3, Insightful

      PowerPoint is only one example though. I think the issue is that this "sour grapes" issue is rampant in the Linux/open source world. Heck, I fully understand why certain functionality might be missing in a FOSS program compared to its proprietary equivalent (it might simply be difficult to implement, lack of resources/time, etc), but I can also completely understand why someone might prefer to just throw money at a solution that DOES provide the functionality they want.

      Most people are more interested in results and will deal with a bit of financial pain if the free alternatives are too stressful to use for whatever reason. It's better to accept this as an inherent limitation with the nature of open source rather than suggest that the user is at fault. Otherwise you're just setting up a case of the user never bothering with open source again if it's failed them too many times.

      --
      Most people on Slashdot are fucking idiots.
    11. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by Culture20 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Would be nice if you cockfuckers would learn to pull your head out of your ass and read the fdman title. Let me help : "MS Office 2013 Pushing HOME USERS Toward Subscriptions 110". That's not bujsiness u8 sutpdi ignrosnt anoanmosu tylotlerle shti. Burn inhell. Dmajn fuckignndiptioc pierfed sof mchsit. Why are theere so many stupdi people in this world that cna;t even REAd a fucikjigntitled? Being stupdi ashoudl quzluitfy people for sterilziation, so they can't mspreaed their suptid gejhnes ot other peopel. D,an fuckignidiktopci opeice so shfit shirt.\

      FTI: somepeople inbteract wuith businedsdses from hone. Espexiakkly withresumes. Senfing an Open/LibreOffice Dog to an HR drone using MS Office csnresult infickinh loojin likethus.

    12. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by afgam28 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      My old company used to have Office 2003 installed site-wide (until as recently as the start of this year). Occasionally we'd get documents from people who used Office 2007, which uses the new XML-based file formats and ironically, only those of us who used Ubuntu/LibreOffice could open these documents.

    13. Re:Good news for Libre Office! by Will.Woodhull · · Score: 3, Insightful

      LO does a fine job producing .pdf files, and a reasonably good job producing HTML. Those are the only two formats any business should be using in any final draft of any communication, internal or external.

      --
      Will
  3. Perfect family gift by Dan+East · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dad: Merry Christmas kids!!!!
    Kids: What did you get us?
    Dad: We now have a 1 year family subscription for a web-based word processor!
    Kids: YAAAAAAAY!!!!!!

    --
    Better known as 318230.
  4. Libre Office by Sir_Kurt · · Score: 3, Insightful

    OK, so why wouldn't any home user choose a free LibreOffice download over a $100/year msoffice subscription tax?

    Kurt

    1. Re:Libre Office by dnaumov · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because users actually prefer MS Office and are willing to pay for using it?

    2. Re:Libre Office by drooling-dog · · Score: 4, Informative

      Because it's not advertised on the Tee Vee, and because MS can afford all of the FUD and astroturfing it needs to keep people in a state of confusion. After all, it's "not ready for the desktop", just like Linux.

    3. Re:Libre Office by Shompol · · Score: 4, Informative

      and their grandma can use it" ... (as long as someone carefully administers that box for them) is rarely mentioned.

      Windows boxes also need to be administered. Their administration also involves routine cleanup of "toolbars" and trojans and other crap that either installs itself, or with some help from a clueless user, and then the whole thing comes to a grinding halt once every two years due to malware, FAT shortcomings, or getting completely hijacked by some Trojan that blatantly demands a payment "to protect your computer". Thus, Linux administration is cheap and hassle-free compared to Windows, and your point is moot and void. There is a currently a shortage of neighbourhood kids who can help with Linux, but that is not what you were talking about, you meant that Windows does not require administration at all, didn't you?

  5. Who the Hell is steering this ship? by hilldog · · Score: 4, Insightful

    First an interface that no body likes ...say hello to blocky windows 8 than a screw you charge for Office. Bill come back! The captain is steering into the reefs! Awww...screw it just go open source, spend half an hour learning the in's and out's and be free!

  6. no thanks... by jaymz666 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Word 2003 still works just fine...

    Most home users barely use many of the features of these tools to begin with, they won't see the value of paying $100 a year for this. That's a lot of money to many people.

    1. Re:no thanks... by jaymz666 · · Score: 4, Informative

      To open Microsoft Office Word 2007 .docx or .docm files with Microsoft Office Word 2003, Word 2002, or Word 2000, you need to install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats and any necessary Office updates. By using the Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office system, you can open, edit some items, and save Office Word 2007 documents in previous versions of Word.

  7. Re:Support for Access databases on Linux. by PRMan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Open Office Base is an alternative to Access. I even used it at work to open an Access 2007 file (we didn't have Access with our version of Office) and it opened it well enough for me to read it into a spreadsheet.

    --
    Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
  8. Two words by Dyinobal · · Score: 3, Informative

    Google Drive.

    Seriously if you've not checked out googles iteration of google docs (and their attempt to compete in 'the cloud') you should. 5 gigs free space on the cloud, plus built in web based office suite, all free.

    Though from what I understand it costs more than the old google docs subscription models did. If you decide 5 gigs of space isn't enough for you. But it would seem they have added value to it with the rather convenient google drive program

  9. Wow, for only $100/yr I can get free UPDATES? by Jenny+Z · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is kind of funny how the marketing departments of big software companies think we actually look forward to 'updates' which annoy us and waste our time. Now I actually breath a sigh of relief when my BlueRay player gets past the moment where it may insist I have to spend 5 minutes 'updating' before I can watch my movie. I can't imagine wanting to pay $100 in return for being hassled with updates I don't care about. Apparently, they haven't figured out that people very well might pay $100 to never be bothered with them.

  10. Two words: by OldSport · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Fuck that.

    I will use my current version of Office until it is absolutely and completely obsolete, and I will switch to something else before I buy into this "pay indefinitely for something" BS. Try increasing sales the old-fashioned way, by actually offering new and innovative products, instead of using this rent-a-program crap to leech off your customers.

  11. This just in... by roc97007 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Office 2000 still works. It'll even open docx files with this.

    I'm happy to use the more recent versions of Office, but it has to be on someone else's dime. (Like, my place of employment.) I bought 2000, it works, and they're gonna havta pry it from my cold dead hands (at least until I switch to something open source).

    Why would a home user waste valuable income on a new version of Office? Are ribbons all that important for that letter to Aunt Edna?

    --
    Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
  12. so... by Charliemopps · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sadly I think this will actually work out for microsoft. This is the same sort of thing happened with MMOs. The thing is, you do something like this and drive away 2/3rds of your customers... so what if the remaining 1/3 is paying 10x the price for the same product. And what's going to happen here is people will get windows for "free" with their computer. They'll put all their files and such on it and then after 6 months or so... bam... can't access any of their important documents and the only way to get them back is pay microsoft $100.

  13. mangling pptx for home use by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you are doing PPTX at home for work, shouldn't work provide you with a copy of MS Office? Maybe I'm being silly, but I don't do powerpoint at home to impress my friends and family.

  14. Google Docs by Teckla · · Score: 3, Informative

    Predictably, there are already lots of mentions of Libre Office.

    I'm almost embarrassed to admit that Google Docs (free) meets my meager needs. You can even download copies of your documents, in several different formats, to store locally.

    Highly recommended unless you have advanced needs.

  15. Thank you Microsoft! by FlynnMP3 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Dear Microsoft,

    Thank you for the generous time and money donation to "The Documentation Foundation"; home of LibreOffice. The extra incentive of more users having more time to devote to providing feedback to make LibreOffice better and more focused is certainly appreciated. However, in the future, perhaps consider a straight up money donation as this will be better for your business. After all, more competition is better for the consumer and if it weren't for the consumer, neither of us would be here.

    For the future developers coming into the fold, there are plenty of User Interface improvements that are perfect for getting your feet wet with the project. We welcome you aboard!

    Best Wishes,

    LibreOffice Development Team

  16. Re:Support for Access databases on Linux. by pwizard2 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Libreoffice can open the *.docx format just fine;

    Unfortunately, editing a *.docx in LibreOffice and saving it tends to fuck it up. I speak from experience.

    --
    "It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common right of humanity."