Microsoft Readies Office 2013 for Two Month Free Trial

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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If you are in the market for an upgrade from your present version of Office or looking to buy for the first time, Microsoft is giving you the opportunity to look under the hood and kick the tires on Office Professional Plus 2013 free for 60 days.

Office 2013's hardware and software requirements aren't especially taxing. But those of you still stuck on Windows XP or Vista are out of luck. The new suite runs only under Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2012.
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Why would they exclude Vista? It's not like there's any huge difference between it and Windows 7. I can kinda understand XP since they're trying to kill it (still) and have to force the point by doing dumb stuff like that (though XP still works okay on my Presario, thanks), but Vista includes modern security features like UAC and has all the windows driver junk.

OpenOffice runs on Windows 2000, btw...just saying.
 
Wrench00 said:
The UI on 2013 is gross. So much white space.
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Yup, it is really a waste. Screens are mostly 16:9 and putting a lot of junk at the top or bottom makes it annoying because stuff is either zoomed out and tiny or you have to do a bunch of up and down scrolling. Drop down menus that you click at the top would have been more smart of them, but it probably wouldn't match their blocky design ideas from the OS and stuff. :(
 
SkribbelKat said:
Why would they exclude Vista? It's not like there's any huge difference between it and Windows 7. I can kinda understand XP since they're trying to kill it (still) and have to force the point by doing dumb stuff like that (though XP still works okay on my Presario, thanks), but Vista includes modern security features like UAC and has all the windows driver junk.

OpenOffice runs on Windows 2000, btw...just saying.
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I think MS just wants to quietly sweep Vista under the rug as a thing that never happened, despite its underlying similarities to Windows 7/8. Also, it definitely wasn't the most popular Windows OS in business/org/gov't environments; either they held on to XP or skipped to Windows 7 when it came out.
 
It seems ridiculous for them to exclude old operating systems. Exactly who are they targeting as their market for upgrades? People tend to buy PCs that have office included, so I would think that users with semi-old computers looking to upgrade would be one of their biggest markets for this.

And it's pretty obvious that there is no technical reason to exclude vista. I suppose we can look forward to 7 being excluded artificially soon also as they try to push people to 8.

Finally, I'm more interested in the traditional payment model where I pay for office once and then am able to use it for "free" indefinitely after that point.

Who the hell would take on an additional monthly bill just to use microsoft office? lol pass...
 
Well... I WAS going to buy this version of office instead of using my old pirated version of 2k3 for all our 3 PCs. But since they aren't supporting Vista?!?

Vista is not significantly different from Win 7 in any way that actually matters. Why would they outright exclude it? Who cares that some know nothing dumbasses think it's still bad just because it's name is different from Win 7... it got fixed to be perfectly usable well before Win7 was out, so why are they still acting like it sucks?
 
GushpinBob said:
I think MS just wants to quietly sweep Vista under the rug as a thing that never happened, despite its underlying similarities to Windows 7/8. Also, it definitely wasn't the most popular Windows OS in business/org/gov't environments; either they held on to XP or skipped to Windows 7 when it came out.
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They did that pretending it doesn't exist thing with Windows ME. It seems like a really common thing for Microsoft to brush off the OSes that weren't popular.
 
SkribbelKat said:
OpenOffice runs on Windows 2000, btw...just saying.
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But OpenOrifice is junky. Anyone who has used it and then tried to print and had words in random places shall know thiiis. :p

Not really sure why you'd want to upgrade to this anyway. Like with Windows 8 it doesn't seem to bring about a great deal of features, just pretend to by changing the UI... all the basics are still there, all the programs are still there. It just adds fluff. :D

Let's look at them! Fluff, patch, or feature?

Touch Mode along with touch enhancements. - Fluff
Flatter look of the Ribbon interface - Fluff
Microsoft Outlook now has a new visualization for scheduled tasks - Fluff
New Start Experience - Fluff
New graphical options in Microsoft Word - Fluff
New alignment lines when moving objects - Fluff
Online picture support with content from Office.com, Bing.com and Flickr - Fluff
Resume Reading in Word and PowerPoint - Fluff
New slide designs, animations and transitions in PowerPoint 2013 - Fluff
Support for Outlook.com and Hotmail.com in Outlook - Fluff
Support for Skype and Yammer - Fluff
Excel 2013 supports new model limits. - Possibily, if you need this kind of stuff you shouldn't be using Excel. Otherwise for 99.999% of people, Fluff

Damnit I didn't get to use the other colors. :(
 
DeathPrincess said:
But OpenOrifice is junky. Anyone who has used it and then tried to print and had words in random places shall know thiiis. :p

Not really sure why you'd want to upgrade to this anyway. Like with Windows 8 it doesn't seem to bring about a great deal of features, just pretend to by changing the UI... all the basics are still there, all the programs are still there. It just adds fluff. :D

Let's look at them! Fluff, patch, or feature?

Touch Mode along with touch enhancements. - Fluff
Flatter look of the Ribbon interface - Fluff
Microsoft Outlook now has a new visualization for scheduled tasks - Fluff
New Start Experience - Fluff
New graphical options in Microsoft Word - Fluff
New alignment lines when moving objects - Fluff
Online picture support with content from Office.com, Bing.com and Flickr - Fluff
Resume Reading in Word and PowerPoint - Fluff
New slide designs, animations and transitions in PowerPoint 2013 - Fluff
Support for Outlook.com and Hotmail.com in Outlook - Fluff
Support for Skype and Yammer - Fluff
Excel 2013 supports new model limits. - Possibily, if you need this kind of stuff you shouldn't be using Excel. Otherwise for 99.999% of people, Fluff

Damnit I didn't get to use the other colors. :(
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Okay, I admit that Open/Libre have a long way to go to be really possible to use in most professional places (though there are some people who are using it in business already, just not a lot).

Office suites have pretty much been complete products for like a decade now too. And yup, the extras they're adding are things that are for niche users or to add functions because something else they're doing makes it "necessary" like by making that utterly awful Sharepoint thing of theirs or pushing cloud collaboration. So yeah, they're inventing reasons elsewhere in the industry to add things that don't hafta be there so they can say they're adding features. Like OneNote...because a directory on the computer's hard drive with files in it isn't basically the exact same thing without having to use some extra software interface.
 
DeathPrincess said:
Touch Mode along with touch enhancements. - Fluff
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Office on tablets is one of the most heavily requested apps: http://winsupersite.com/blog/supersite-blog-39/tablets/microsoft-office-requested-tablet-app-144629

I know that there's supposed to be versions of Office for iOS and Android coming in the spring, however they are not going to be the full desktop suite. Plus if Office is on other tablets it would be a pretty logical thing to make Office for Windows tablets work with touch.

Also, if you're judging opinion of the Office 2013 UI based on the Preview version, there's been so fairly major changes to it in the RTM. The UI can be entirely collapsed using no permanent space leaving virtually the whole screen for content.
 
heatlesssun said:
Office on tablets is one of the most heavily requested apps: http://winsupersite.com/blog/supersite-blog-39/tablets/microsoft-office-requested-tablet-app-144629

I know that there's supposed to be versions of Office for iOS and Android coming in the spring, however they are not going to be the full desktop suite. Plus if Office is on other tablets it would be a pretty logical thing to make Office for Windows tablets work with touch.

Also, if you're judging opinion of the Office 2013 UI based on the Preview version, there's been so fairly major changes to it in the RTM. The UI can be entirely collapsed using no permanent space leaving virtually the whole screen for content.
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Android has lots of office suites already available for free. Same with Apple. The request has been frequently made, but in recent times, its been made for non-Windows platforms which now have nice office suites available. With respect to niche market Windows tablets, they've been able to run x86 office suites for as long as wierdos have been insisting on using inefficient touch platforms instead of keyboards and micey-mice.
 
This really kills your eyes after a while. You may go blind after a day of using office 2013. It's that bad. Think MS forgot how to design UIs correctly.
 
SkribbelKat said:
Android has lots of office suites already available for free. Same with Apple. The request has been frequently made, but in recent times, its been made for non-Windows platforms which now have nice office suites available. With respect to niche market Windows tablets, they've been able to run x86 office suites for as long as wierdos have been insisting on using inefficient touch platforms instead of keyboards and micey-mice.
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Again, it's not office suites, it's Office that asked for my name. Secondly, Windows 8 and Office 2013 are much more touch friendly than it's processors and the wierdos that think that just because you can use touch and pen on a device precludes the use of mice and keyboards have been around a long time as well.
 
Tudz said:
Tell the truth, this wasn't actually a point and simply a heatlesssun troll summoning ritual :p
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I use the products in these threads, actually state facts in my posts and yet I'm the troll, which is just nonsense on the face of it. The issue with the lightness of the UI in the Preview version was corrected with two darker themes though they be too light sill for some and the UI can be entirely collapsed if desired.
 
Still nice of MS to offer a 2 month free trial :).
 
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Its odd they aren't supporting Vista but I don't think thats not a huge deal, since it was one of MS least popular OS's anyway. As for dropping Windows XP support, about time too.
 
I used the RTM and it sucks just as much dick as it did in the preview now with three shades of grey.
 
Wrench00 said:
I used the RTM and it sucks just as much dick as it did in the preview now with three shades of grey.
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The RTM is significantly faster than the Preview, particularly on slower hardware. And the UI is totally collapsible, if you're being blinded, it's because of the content you or someone else created.

Please use a product first before making comments, particularly stupid ones.;)
 
heatlesssun said:
The RTM is significantly faster than the Preview, particularly on slower hardware. And the UI is totally collapsible, if you're being blinded, it's because of the content you or someone else created.
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The UI can be collapsed on Office 2010 too so that's not a new idea. What's so magical about not being able to find a function and having to fight with a menu that constantly tried to hide itself while you're attempting to use it? If you leave it up, you waste screen space. If you hide it, you get to fight with bringing it up constantly. It's a totally stupid UI design that isn't made okay just because it opens or saves documents 0.2 seconds faster on the same hardware.

Please use a product first before making comments, particularly stupid ones.;)
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Yes, we all know you've been using Office 2013 on ninety different computers for the last 20 years so obviously, its not even possible for someone else to have used it or have a disagreeable opinion about it. And if they disagree, you have to ridicule them for not thinking like you by calling them stupid or cussing them out when you can't argue your way out by evading the issue with a different topic.

I like the old heatlesssun who used to drool over tablets and touch screens, but wasn't pretending to be the banner bearer and martyr for Microsoft's dumb product designs. :(
 
SkribbelKat said:
Why would they exclude Vista? It's not like there's any huge difference between it and Windows 7. I can kinda understand XP since they're trying to kill it (still) and have to force the point by doing dumb stuff like that (though XP still works okay on my Presario, thanks), but Vista includes modern security features like UAC and has all the windows driver junk.

OpenOffice runs on Windows 2000, btw...just saying.
Click to expand...

Just remember, like Direct X10 on XP, Microsoft found a magically barrier and can't get Office 2013 working on Vista.

27254538.jpg
 
heatlesssun said:
The RTM is significantly faster than the Preview, particularly on slower hardware. And the UI is totally collapsible, if you're being blinded, it's because of the content you or someone else created.

Please use a product first before making comments, particularly stupid ones.;)
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It's still godawfully slow on the Surface RT tablets!

MS really needs to address their bloated software. 16GB free on a 32GB device is inexcusable. Locking up while typing text in Office while you've got just 1 browser tab open is also ridiculous.

I'd like to see a Metro tablet without office and without a keyboard. That way they can sell a tablet as a "consumption" device instead of pretending that the Surface RT products can fill both niches. They can't. When the OS prevents you from multitasking properly, you sort of get the hint that you're not going to be doing anything productive on it.
 
SkribbelKat said:
The UI can be collapsed on Office 2010 too so that's not a new idea.
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I believe this is new to Office 2013:
Word%202013%20Full%20Screen.png


SkribbelKat said:
What's so magical about not being able to find a function and having to fight with a menu that constantly tried to hide itself while you're attempting to use it? If you leave it up, you waste screen space. If you hide it, you get to fight with bringing it up constantly. It's a totally stupid UI design that isn't made okay just because it opens or saves documents 0.2 seconds faster on the same hardware.
Click to expand...

The only one talking about magic is you, I was simply pointing out a new feature.

SkribbelKat said:
Yes, we all know you've been using Office 2013 on ninety different computers for the last 20 years so obviously, its not even possible for someone else to have used it or have a disagreeable opinion about it. And if they disagree, you have to ridicule them for not thinking like you by calling them stupid or cussing them out when you can't argue your way out by evading the issue with a different topic.

I like the old heatlesssun who used to drool over tablets and touch screens, but wasn't pretending to be the banner bearer and martyr for Microsoft's dumb product designs. :(
Click to expand...

Nonsense from a person that once again doesn't use the product mentioned in thread.
 
heatlesssun said:
The RTM is significantly faster than the Preview, particularly on slower hardware. And the UI is totally collapsible, if you're being blinded, it's because of the content you or someone else created.

Please use a product first before making comments, particularly stupid ones.;)
Click to expand...

I don't give a shit if its faster it still not an improvement over 2k10. I installed on the tablet and its still absolutely horrendous with touch. Try so make a visio diagram with touch its a horrible UI experience. Try to do an excel spreadsheet or table work, its fucking goofy.
Nothing has been added on the desktop except now I found some of my visio templates no longer loaded up properly.
I don't give a shit about any of the integration since I have sharepoint and I could upload with 2k10 just fine. Do I give a shit about live no.
Plus the Theme of 2k13 really doesn't flow well with a desktop visualization its like metro in you desktop environment.
Does it justify to spend $500 on a productivity package. No fucking way.
So yes its still sucks as much dick as the preview did.


Why am I wasting my time answering a Troll?
 
heatlesssun said:
So you go out of your way to talk about a product you've never used about which this thread had nothing to do with.
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Well, it kinda does.

The ARM version of Office (which you'll get with any RT tablet) is stripped down and doesn't offer the same functionality, or options, as it's x86-based brother. It's fragmented. This trial version is only for the x86-based products thus won't act the same as a Surface RT tablet (which chokes up running its own software. Kinda neat, huh?)

See that? informative AND critical rather than fanboyish and delusional.

:D
 
heatlesssun said:
I believe this is new to Office 2013:
*image*
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I'm guessing since you've been using Office 2013 for the last 20 years, that you've never used Office 2010.

2gspytl.jpg


The only one talking about magic is you, I was simply pointing out a new feature.
Click to expand...

Can you please quote me mentioning magic, because I have no idea why you think I even mentioned it unless you can't tell the difference between my posts and someone else's posts.

Nonsense from a person that once again doesn't use the product mentioned in thread.
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Of course, I haven't downloaded and installed the freebies because they cost so much money. :rolleyes: Have you looked around at this thread or any other thread about a Microsoft product and noticed how many people seem to think you're unreasonable and have no idea what you're talking about?

Anyhow, what's with all this "you can't possibly own it" stuff you keep tossing out to defend yourself? You know if you didn't stay up late at night fussing over who thinks what about your opinion on a forum, you wouldn't have to do this stuff. I don't know why you care so much unless the "you don't use it thing" is just more proof that you're a Microsoft mole trying to increase sale by getting people to buy junk just to prove you're clueless.
 
SkribbelKat said:
What's so magical about not being able to find a function and having to fight with a menu that constantly tried to hide itself while you're attempting to use it?
Click to expand...

SkribbelKat said:
I'm guessing since you've been using Office 2013 for the last 20 years, that you've never used Office 2010.
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What you posted is not what I did, the tabs are hidden in the image I posted. This is a third mode that's new to Office 2013. The option to display just the tabs along with the full ribbon are still there as in Office 2010.

SkribbelKat said:
Can you please quote me mentioning magic, because I have no idea why you think I even mentioned it unless you can't tell the difference between my posts and someone else's posts.
Click to expand...

SkribbelKat said:
What's so magical about not being able to find a function and having to fight with a menu that constantly tried to hide itself while you're attempting to use it?
Click to expand...

I have no idea why you bought up magic. I was just pointing out a new feature and said nothing about it being magical.


SkribbelKat said:
Of course, I haven't downloaded and installed the freebies because they cost so much money. :rolleyes: Have you looked around at this thread or any other thread about a Microsoft product and noticed how many people seem to think you're unreasonable and have no idea what you're talking about?


Anyhow, what's with all this "you can't possibly own it" stuff you keep tossing out to defend yourself? You know if you didn't stay up late at night fussing over who thinks what about your opinion on a forum, you wouldn't have to do this stuff. I don't know why you care so much unless the "you don't use it thing" is just more proof that you're a Microsoft mole trying to increase sale by getting people to buy junk just to prove you're clueless.
Click to expand...

All I did was point out a new UI feature in Office 2013 that anyone who spent five minutes with it would notice and once again instead of actually talking about the specifics of a product mentioned in a thread you go on with bunch of a nonsense.
 
heatlesssun said:
What you posted is not what I did, the tabs are hidden in the image I posted. This is a third mode that's new to Office 2013. The option to display just the tabs along with the full ribbon are still there as in Office 2010.
Click to expand...

You know, it's okay to admit that you've never used Office 2010 instead of tryng to pretend like you did. We really don't care so doing this isn't really saving your credibility with us since all the other made up stuff has pretty much nullified it.

All I did was point out a new UI feature in Office 2013 that anyone who spent five minutes with it would notice and once again instead of actually talking about the specifics of a product mentioned in a thread you go on with bunch of a nonsense.
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I know it upsets you that people are on topic and you want us to go off on wild tangents with you, but if you want to have the ability to control what other people say, open your own forum and moderate that one instead of trying to do so here without the sanction of the people that operate it.
 
Well, SkribbelKat, maybe heatless is on to something. We all know how much business/enterprise users and IT love it when a program undergoes UI changes, so this might work out well for MS.
 
SkribbelKat said:
You know, it's okay to admit that you've never used Office 2010 instead of tryng to pretend like you did. We really don't care so doing this isn't really saving your credibility with us since all the other made up stuff has pretty much nullified it.
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I guess random meaningless words are a pretty good comeback when you just got stone cold busted about not knowing the new UI option in 2013. And its funny how you guys like to have it both ways. I'm supposed to be this big MS fanboy but would know Office 2010? Or 2007 or 2003? The random nonsense you like to spread around is forming a black hole and collapsing on it's insanity.

pelo said:
Well, SkribbelKat, maybe heatless is on to something. We all know how much business/enterprise users and IT love it when a program undergoes UI changes, so this might work out well for MS.
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This is a third option in the UI, the old ones are still there, it's up the user to decide. I thought you were all about choice.
 
heatlesssun said:
This is a third option in the UI, the old ones are still there, it's up the user to decide. I thought you were all about choice.
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Oh, I am, but you missed the sarcasm :(

But I'm guessing choice in Office UI is good while choice in the start menu/Metro is bad? How awesome would it be if MS opted to offer choice in UIs outside of their Office ecosystem as well? wouldn't that be dandy?
 
I use office 2010 a ton and love it. Mostly looks like fluff in 2013, but there are some things that look interesting. Will download this a bit later and give it some grind time.
 
pelo said:
Oh, I am, but you missed the sarcasm :(
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Fair enough, I just wanted it to be clear that the prior UI options from 2010 were there and this third option is just that.

pelo said:
But I'm guessing choice in Office UI is good while choice in the start menu/Metro is bad? How awesome would it be if MS opted to offer choice in UIs outside of their Office ecosystem as well? wouldn't that be dandy?
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And of course back to this issue. It's been and will no doubt continue to be well litigated.
 
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