Microsoft Begins Phasing Out Starter Edition of Its Office Suite

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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The distribution of Office Starter 2010 will be phasing out with the release of Windows 8. Microsoft has informed its OEM customers to use Office Web Apps as the replacement for Office Starter.

“We will begin to phase out the shipment of PCs with Office Starter 2010. After Windows 8 becomes available, most new PCs shipped will not have Office Starter.
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Even before clicking I assumed that MS was going to push the web version. I miss the old MS Works that came bundled with Word, the versions which could open MS Office documents, not the horrible versions that only supported the old Works formats.
 
Makes sense, the web apps are probably good enough for people who only use the Starter Editions anyway.
 
Can't say I'm sad. Junk trial-ware is the bane of most new computer systems and most people are too stupid to understand that their $300 discount special of a computer doesn't come with a full-blown version of office.
 
heatlesssun said:
Makes sense, the web apps are probably good enough for people who only use the Starter Editions anyway.
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Yup, and most users will have access to them anyway when they opt-in to making a live account to log into Windows 8.
 
GotNoRice said:
Can't say I'm sad. Junk trial-ware is the bane of most new computer systems and most people are too stupid to understand that their $300 discount special of a computer doesn't come with a full-blown version of office.
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Starter Edition was not a trial, the programs never expired...
 
Like most are saying, this makes the most sense, if you are trying to push one product, don't compete it with something that you won't see a dime for (trial software).
 
Great more ways for Uncle Sam and hackers/scamers to get your personal information and documents. Why do people think we need all our info needs to be stored online? I guess it doesn't matter at think point with people posting every detail of their lives on facebook, and banking/finances/taxes all online. Seems like we are asking to get robbed.
 
ClearM4 said:
Great more ways for Uncle Sam and hackers/scamers to get your personal information and documents. Why do people think we need all our info needs to be stored online? I guess it doesn't matter at think point with people posting every detail of their lives on facebook, and banking/finances/taxes all online. Seems like we are asking to get robbed.
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  1. Because the vast majority of people can't be bothered to set up their home network in a way that allows them to access their data while they're away from home.
  2. Because the vast majority of people can't be bothered to back up the data they consider important with any regularity.
  3. Because the vast majority of people can't be bothered to keep the software on their computers up-to-date and protected against the latest Adware/Malware worm.
  4. Because the vast majority of device manufacturers can't be bothered to make their latest pre-installed bloatware suite compatible with every other device manufacturer's pre-installed bloatware suite. ... Yet most of them have a web browser.

I'll freely admit that keeping all our information online is a bad idea, but moving to web apps solves more problems for the vast majority of people than it creates if people can learn not to store seriously sensitive data online.
 
Anything sensitive I have is stored on a thumb drive and an external hard drive I don't keep connected to my PC all the time.
 
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