Completely baffled by Office 2013 pricing

D

dodonpachi

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Aug 7, 2012
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Hi

I am in the UK. I have just built a new PC for my parents who are used to using the Office suite. With a new computer I want them to have up to date software that will be quick, highly compatible etc.

They don't really understand or need cloud computing back-up or related features, and more to the point I would like them to be able to buy their software outright not "lease" it from MS. Also they do not need more than one license.

Is there and decent argument for them having Office 365 and paying for it yearly? I can't even find UK pricing for it. The only thing I can get is this:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/office365/compare-plans.aspx

It makes no sense to me. Also I don't really want to have to install 2010 to the then upgrade to 2013.

Is there a way yet to just buy a 2013 license for the home user outright and download an iso?
 
Thanks - I'd Googled around and the red mist had started to descend over Microsoft's various naming conventions. What is your opinion on the value of 365 for the average home user with a modest 5mb or so connection?
 
If they have already purchased an older version of Office, why not just use that again? You are allowed to reinstall it.
 
I've looked a bit at the upcoming office2013 "365" crap. And the idea of going to a cloud based setup is a BAD idea I think.

If all your parents want to do is BASIC office tasks... use your 2010. I doubt they would ever notice a difference. Keep in mind too, some people are more effective with a program they know (office 2010) than always upgrading to the latest and greatest.

I don't know how your digital infrastructure is in the UK -- here in the US, our internet/DSL/cable access is sort of a joke relative to the rest of the world. Mostly in terms of cost per megabit coupled with reliability.

If you want to save some money - I would just setup Office 2010 along with a free SkyDrive or Drop box account and show them how to use that. That way they have all their stuff in the cloud (with a local backup of course) and can have tons of mobility when it comes to working on their documents anywhere.
 
You can use Office 2013 just like Office 2010, as a local client though I don't know what the pricing is on the client software as a standalone install. The major work in Office 2013 is the touch UI which is decent if incomplete though I know that won't interest a lot of people.
 
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