It’s Time for Microsoft to Reboot Office

Why do we need it at all?

[bill]

http://www.wsj.com/article_email/its-time-for-microsoft-to-reboot-office-1444155726-lMyQjAxMTI1MjAwNjgwMTY1Wj [wsj.com]

It’s Time for Microsoft to Reboot Office

For a few weeks, I gave Office a second chance. I wrote articles, took notes and built spreadsheets with Office 2016 on all the devices in my life: a Windows 10 laptop at the office, an iMac at home and an iPhone and iPad on the go. My trusty Shift-F7 was back.

I can’t wait to get back to Google Docs.

Despite Microsoft’s fanfare about collaboration, Office 2016’s Internet capabilities are superficial.

Interesting that this sentiment seems to be spreading. Do you find that you truly still need Office?

[zulu_dude]

The main Office tool I use is still Outlook... I've tried several other email clients, but keep coming back to it (with gSyncIt for syncing to my Google calendar).
I also find Excel better than Sheets for working with a large amount of data, but that's probably just impatience on my part!

I'm excited to see what Slack bring to the table in terms of collaborative tools... if they can extend their user friendliness to office tools, I'd be very open to giving it a try.

[incrediBILL]

I used to be a hardcore Office user and these days I'm fine with Open Office as it provides all I need for free on my desktop and tablet. No real need for any Office on a phone so that's why I use it. If Windows didn't come with the machine I'd probably switch to Linux, esp. if I had to pay extra to get it. Not necessary for what I, or what most people do these days.

Both MS and Apple will probably figure that out a day late and a dollar short.

If any hardware makers had true balls they just put Ubuntu on the box with Open Office, Firefox Chrome, etc. and stop paying MS all that extra money for nothin' and your chicks are free. It's just as easy to use if it's all preloaded and ready to go.

Windows is to french fries what Office is to ketchup. :)

FWIW, unless you're a hardcore user, like a writer, or financial person, you never need to use even a fraction of what it does and the free stuff will handle your needs just fine. I'd suspect 99% of the population, or more, doesn't need office but have it because they think they do and nobody showed them the free alternatives.

[RedBar]

these days I'm fine with Open Office as it provides all I need for free on my desktop

I've been Open Office for about 10 years, maybe more, honestly the only thing I use it for is creating .pdfs, does MS Office do that?

[engine]

There's one aspect you've missed, and that's the concept of compatibility. If you deal with "corporate" business, it's absolutely no good sending a converted file to them. There's always something that is incompatible.

But, yes, for the home user, there's no real need.
Having said that, my other half works in the corporate sector and she's used to MS Office, so wanted it at home as she's familiar with the UI.

I have used Google Docs, Open Office, Zoho, etc, and there's definitely some getting used to. If you've got a chromebook, you're going to have to use something such as that.
The other aspect to consider is the online capability. When it works, it's great, but i've had many occasions when i couldn't get online, so a local copy was the only way.

Everyone does thing differently nowadays, so even Microsoft has to move forward.

[Leosghost]

Open office and libre office are actually more compatible with Microsoft office formats than Microsoft office itself is..
Older versions of Microsoft office cannot open many things produced with newer versions of Microsoft office ( normal for any software you'd say* )..so one has to pay for a newer version..whereas if one waits a few weeks.the newer versions of Open office and Libre office are updated to be able to open whatever the latest MS office formats used are..and they are free..unlike MS office..

*What is not normal ( for a normal definition of normal ) at all is when newer versions of Microsoft Office cannot open files produced by older versions of Microsoft office..and one has to use open office and libre office to open them..then close them again ( so that open office or libre office has "converted" them ) and then reopen them in the latest version of Microsoft office ( which can then read them after the free softwares have worked their magic )..Unless one has pre-existing files that use some of one or two really arcane manipulations that are peculiar to Microsoft excel..no-one needs Microsoft office at all..

But Microsoft have ( by giving it away to schools who think that IT lessons mean learn how to use Microsoft software ) made sure that it is "what people are used to" ..except that idea got blown away when Microsoft office moved to the "ribbon", and the vast majority of companies and administrations missed a golden opportunity to leave the MS stranglehold and retrain their people to use the free open source alternatives , instead they chose to retrain them to use the ribbon..

[Hoople]

Older versions of Microsoft office cannot open many things produced with newer versions of Microsoft office ( normal for any software you'd say* )..so one has to pay for a newer version.

The MS-Office Compatibility Pack has been a free download for some time. It allows Office 2003/2007 users to open the newer files (with x added to their extension).

Prior Office versions (2002/2000) users (aka Windows XP OS) had to download the Office File Viewers for Windows (one for each app 'flavor'). Then it was a copy and past to get an editable document.

[J_RaD]

I think the people that think " meh I don't need office"
Don't really use or understand the full power of the stuff office can do... excel itself can do some wizard level magic.

he only thing I use it for is creating .pdfs, does MS Office do that?

yes, save as PDF...since forever ago.

[J_RaD]

I also find Excel better than Sheets for working with a large amount of data, but that's probably just impatience on my part!

depending on what you do and what that data is......sending that info off the LAN into cloud land will get you walked out the front door before you set down your coffee cup.

[tangor]

I'm still running Office 2002 simply because it does NOT do the web well. There are some things I prefer to keep local. That said, I have used the newer versions of Office and find them all usable. I have have also used (and recommend to some clients) Open Office as the difference between the open source and MS have narrowed greatly.

I suppose it all depends on your requirements as to what package is needed. I still do a lot of work with enterprise clients stuck in Office XP, for example.

[tangor]

Follow up... oddly tonight while this thread is in traffic:

Enterprise contacted me re: a manual to convert to intraweb (their LAN) from a WORD95 doc. Got 'er done with no "viewers" or "converters".

In process of same revealed to them (to their satisfaction) that same was NOT RIGHT and end up with a little job, set dollars, and all with be happy (me, too, dollars in pocket).

It is things like this that I keep a few legacy machines (or legacy software that will run on newer hardware) around. Heck, I still have a fully operational 486 with WordPerfect 5.2 running under Win 3.11 for Workgroups, with Word Star 2000 and Fontastic (early publisher software) for just these kind of things. At 80 and 120 mb mfm HD size (sic, no mistake) there is a limit to the size of files I can massage. I have three 80s left (mirrored) and 1 120 extra. After that the game is done because, as we all know, hardware will die.... not if, just when.

Knowing all that I have been urging some of the laggards in enterprise (think large companies running up to 200 units) to get off the stick and join us in the Real World. :)

[RedBar]

yes, save as PDF...since forever ago.

Definitely not forever, that's why I went Open Office.

If you deal with "corporate" business

I do, we only use .pdfs, have done so "forever" :-)))