New Ways to Try and Buy Microsoft Office 2010
We’re thrilled about the growing number of people who are using Microsoft Office every day to get things done at work, at home, at school and on the go. For instance:
- 500 million people worldwide use Microsoft Office
- From July, 2008 through June, 2009 – Office 2007 experienced 92% year over year growth in trials, equating to 23 million trial downloads
- Office 2007 Home and Student edition has been the top selling PC software title at US retail for the last two years
On the heels of such positive momentum, we’re excited to talk about big improvements in the way we’ll deliver the next version of Office to consumers.
Along with the great product innovations we’re delivering in Office 2010, we’re introducing even more choice and flexibility for consumers in how they can try, buy and experience Office 2010 on new and existing PCs. This includes:
Product Key Card and Microsoft Office Starter 2010
For consumers who purchase a new PC, Microsoft is working with major PC manufacturers and our retail partners to make it simpler than ever to try and buy Office 2010.
Through our retail partners, Microsoft is introducing an all-new Product Key Card to help consumers more easily access and experience Office 2010 on new PCs that have been pre-loaded with Office 2010. The Product Key Card is a single license card (with no DVD media) that will be sold at major electronic retail outlets.
An added bonus: The card’s packaging is smaller than the full package (DVD) product, and is eco/retail-friendly. The key number contained on the card will unlock Office 2010 software that has been pre-loaded by the PC manufacturers on their PCs, and enables a simpler and faster path for consumers to begin using any one of three full versions of Microsoft Office – Office Home & Student 2010, Office Home & Business 2010, or Office Professional 2010.
As part of Office 2010 software that will be pre-loaded by the PC manufacturers on their PCs, we’re introducing Microsoft Office Starter 2010. Office Starter 2010 is a reduced-functionality, advertising-supported version of Office 2010, available exclusively on new PCs. Office Starter 2010 will provide new PC owners with immediate exposure to the Office 2010 experience on new PCs right out of the box.
Office Starter 2010 will include Office Word Starter 2010 and Office Excel Starter 2010, with the basic functionality for creating, viewing and editing documents. Office Starter 2010 will replace Microsoft Works, offering a consistent Office user experience, such as the Ribbon, with a simple path to upgrade to a fully-featured version of Office 2010 directly from within the product.
Click-To-Run technology for downloading trial and purchasing Office 2010
For people who want to try or buy Office 2010 on existing PCs, Microsoft is unveiling Click-to-Run, a new and enhanced download experience for consumers. Click-to-Run makes it easier than ever for customers to try or buy Office digitally by significantly reducing the time and effort required to download Office 2010 over the Internet. Click-to-Run automatically downloads and installs any software patches when connected to the Internet, helping people maintain and keep their Office software up-to-date. Click-to-Run uses virtualization technology so it allows customers to maintain multiple versions of Office. This enables them to try Office 2010 side-by-side with the existing version of Office.
We will have the broad beta of Office 2010 later this year and invite people to become familiar with Office 2010, in the way that works best for them, and then easily upgrade to a full version of Office Home and Student 2010, Office Home and Business 2010, or Office Professional 2010 when they’re ready to buy. To find out more information about Office 2010 visit www.microsoft.com/office2010.
Takeshi Numoto, Corporate Vice President, Office
Comments
Anonymous
October 08, 2009
Sweeeeet! Can't wait to try it out!Anonymous
October 08, 2009
Will technet subscribers get access to this beta anytime soon?Anonymous
October 08, 2009
I'd like to know if it would be possible to download the trial version of Office 2010, then if I decided to upgrade to the full version instead of having to buy the full DVD or purchase online would I be able to buy a Product Keycard from a store instead. Alternitavly buy the Keycard from a store and then download the program.Anonymous
October 08, 2009
Office 2010 Starter doesn't sound that great at all. =| The fact that it is ad-supported puts me off from using it whatsoever, I know some people that share this opinion as well. BUT, It's nice that they have a chance to get familiar with MS Office if they haven't already done so. Balances out everything else.Anonymous
October 08, 2009
I noticed that the Product Key card says that it is only for use on one computer; this to me is a step backward, unless it will be cheaper than the traditional boxed version of Office 2010 Home and Student. Office 2007 Home and Student allows you to install the copy onto 3 computers in the same household, and this has made it possiable for many families to switch to Office from a free competator since the cost per computer worked out to be so cheap. Please do not change this with Office 2010 ... keep letting Home and Student run on 3 computers! Also, I think you should reconsider and let Office Starter be a free (or cheap) download from Microsoft. If it is advertising supported then you will still make money from it, and many people (especially in Asia) still buy custom-built computers that are not bundled with software. If they can download this, it will get them started using Office for free, and they are much more likely to buy the full version (I've sold friends on Office 2007 just by them watching me use it ... if the interface is the same nice, consistant one from Office, it will catch them the same!). Also, users of older versions of Office could download this, use it and see if they like the new interface without the time-limits of a trial, and then upgrade into full Office. If you make it an absolutely free download, I think it will all-in-all increase your marketshare and help (rather than cut into) your revenue. Please consider doing this! Thanks, and thanks for amazing products! Keep up the good work :)Anonymous
October 09, 2009
And regardless of whether you use it or want it, it'll be loaded and bloated up on the computer. Hey Microsoft, I own my own house, but could you please let me buy a key to the third bedroom? Second thought, you just keep my third bedroom. I don't need it.Anonymous
October 09, 2009
What about those not buying new PC-will Works still be offered? As they will not be able to get the "starter" version of Office 2010 At least a portfolipAnonymous
October 09, 2009
How about hackers unlocking the preloaded version. Has Microsoft addressed this issue. You lose out sooo much on pirated copies.Anonymous
October 09, 2009
Good. Looking forward to install Office 2010 beta.Anonymous
October 09, 2009
Looks great! I can't wait to play with it. :)Anonymous
October 09, 2009
While Office Starter will replace Works (for obvious reasons) on new computers, there will also be Office Home and Business (for both new and existing computers) based on the same technology (C2R), Office Web Applications (an online-only, and absolutely free, version of the core Office applications) and traditional versions of Office Home and Business, Office Professional, and Office Mondo (which replaces both Office Ultimate and Office Enterprise). Non-C2R versions will include both x32 and x64 (the x64 is new in the case of Office), and the C2R versions will run on both x32 and x64 versions of Windows (except XP64).Anonymous
October 09, 2009
- The Product Key Card is not a new concept. Office 2007 had Medialess License Keys (MLKs) which were exactly the same thing. These were slightly cheaper than the full retail package.
- Click to Run, in my experience, has always been slow to start whatever the application, even if just a small app, nevermind the Office beasts. I'd be interested to see what the user experience is like for that 3)Wouldn't it be of benefit to offer Office Starter as a free download rather than only for OEMs? It could be downloaded as part of the Windows Live package or maybe even through the new Office Web apps
Anonymous
October 09, 2009
I love Microsoft Office. It is very useful. Thanks for sharing this new information.Anonymous
October 09, 2009
FAO: P "And regardless of whether you use it or want it, it'll be loaded and bloated up on the computer" Click Start, Control panel, Programs and Features. Un-install Office. Glad to help. I've been using the Beta of 2010 (Pro) for two months and it's a really, really nice package with great additions, mainly Outlook. I'll try and probably run the free version at home. Thanks MSAnonymous
October 09, 2009
Hello everyone – thanks so much for your comments, it’s great to see all this interest and discussion about our new Office Starter offering. I’d like to take a quick second here to address a couple of the questions and comments above. First, the Office Trial program will still exist as a download option for people who have existing PCs that want to try out Office 2010 before purchasing. You will be able to activate directly from the trial. We are discontinuing the Works product with the launch of Office 2010. There are a number of new Office products that will be available, including Office Home and Student. Thanks again for your feedback, you can catch a glimpse of Office Starter (and the built in advertising) in the video posted above. Brian Albrecht Group Program Manager – Office StarterAnonymous
October 09, 2009
Super, what will be in the next edition after that one 2010, I think you reached the end?? who knows!!Anonymous
October 09, 2009
I posted my comments regarding Starter and Click-to-Run on Channel9 blog posts. @Abedeldayem-"reached the end?", I think the future for Office looks brighter than ever. There is so much work ahead to tie Office to the web. For example, Outlook Business Contact Manager should be hosted/synced with Office Live Small Business. Not doing so is limiting its potential. MS Excel could use better web extraction capabilties than it currently has. MS SharePoint needs some serious enhancements. Right now, I use DotNetNuke because skinning is more difficult that it needs to be with SharePoint. Its also easier to build forms, collect and store data in SQL Server database using DotNetNuke. It would be great to see SharePoint be able to serve up Microsoft Access databases, forms and reports. That would give MS Access a reason to live on. MS Office Communication Server needs an edition geared toward small businesses or at least find a way for Office Communicator to be utilized with 3rd party SIP servers. InfoPath could/should be available on Office Live where more consumers can be exposed to it. Microsoft Math probably should be included in the Office Student and Home edition. Microsoft is doing quite a good job with collaboration and I think we'll see that evolve. MS Office apps could do a better job of utilizing multiple displays. An example, with a dual montor config it would be nice if Excel would let you view two worksheets at the same time (sort of a double maximize capability). I could go on and on...but you get the point.Anonymous
October 09, 2009
Works was simpler and faster than Office, but the different file formats have always been a pain. Windows 7 Wordpad finally has Word compatibility, so what are the advantages of Word 2010 Starter over Wordpad 7?Anonymous
October 10, 2009
May be you keep the default extension as .doc .ppt .xls because it pains a lot to reconvert it into it's compatible mode using it's older versions. hoping for the best...Anonymous
October 10, 2009
What's going to happen if there is no internet connectivity to update the ads?Anonymous
October 10, 2009
Starter advertising - ALA NetZero, Juno and so forth - not very thoughtful, however major comment concerns absence of replacemengt for Works database Membership in several computer clubs has shown that tghe dagtabase is of major importance to average user.Anonymous
October 10, 2009
The comment has been removedAnonymous
October 11, 2009
The comment has been removedAnonymous
October 11, 2009
I was expecting that, I believe most of the software will be free in the future and companies will get revenue through ads, services, and consulting. Google leading this industry right now. On the other hand, cellphone companies will offer FREE services with ads pop up on your screen.Anonymous
October 11, 2009
The keycard idea is good, although it depends on its price compared to the number of installs. Office 2007 came with 3 installs per household and could be bought for as little as $99 - $149, that means an install price of $33-$50 for one machine. If thats still the price then this deal could work out, and may tempt the average non committed user. Yeah pricing is a big issue.Anonymous
October 11, 2009
Может вы сделаете для Мака это ваше новое чудо полностью функциональным для Великого Русского языка... Надоело покупать эти language packs для Русского в Windows!.... Но для Мака даже этой возможности никогда не было! Стыдно, микрософтовцы, стыдно!!! - при вашей успешности на рынке быть такими жадными!!! ПРОИГРАЕТЕ...! УСТУПИТЕ ПОЗИЦИИ OPEN OFFICE ИЗ-ЗА ВАШЕЙ ЖАДНОСТИ И НАДМЕННОСТИ!!!...Anonymous
October 13, 2009
The writing is on the wall for Microsoft - you can exist with all software for free and once that concept is packaged and marketed properly so the average user can user it MS will struggle to sell software. All software is eventually going to exist in the cloud with just a basic OS in the hardware and we'll be connected permanently on all devices types.Anonymous
October 13, 2009
The comment has been removedAnonymous
October 13, 2009
Can we get a screenshot of what the ads will look like?Anonymous
October 13, 2009
Well the adverts in Office 2010 Starter Edition don't look that bad at all they’re functional but not in your face distracting: http://twitpic.com/kuj63 That would definitely make me want to try it out. Certainly this is a great idea for cash conscious users who only want some of the basic functionality of Excel and Word. Which might include me on any additional Windows partitions when I dual or triple boot. The question then is how frequently people use the other Office applications? Obviously Outlook is not going to have an ad supported version anytime soon. There is no real obvious competitor, and this will make sure Business customers keep buying the full version at least in the short term which is Microsoft’s main source of Office revenue. But how many people use PowerPoint regularly? I’m guessing most people use PowerPoint to view presentations but not many will actually get around to editing them on a regular basis. In that case I would hope that a PowerPoint viewer is integrated into the Office 2010 Starter edition. The risk for Microsoft is that people would just download Open Office Impress in those rare cases when they needed a basic PowerPoint editor, which isn’t bad in itself unless the user downloads the whole Open Office suite with Impress. This could destroy the ad driven model of Office 2010 Starter. This point of course may be less of an issue if the Office 2007 file formats (*.docx, *.xlsx) are pushed as defaults in Office 2010 Starter as Open Office is not that reliable with these newer file formats which may keep these users loyal. Users could also be kept loyal if there was an online version of PowerPoint for those rare times when a PowerPoint editor is needed. It’ s going to be interesting to see if this carrot be used to get people to use other Microsoft Live services, and generate larger profits going forward. Office 2010 Starter Edition is certainly going to be an interesting move for Microsoft.Anonymous
October 16, 2009
Word Starter has only the menus: Home, Insert, Page Layout and Mailings! No use to anyone who knows Word. Nothing TOC and Index! Is for those people that formats the page with the enter key and the spacebar!Anonymous
October 30, 2009
will office starter 2010 also be available for purchase like works is, which also comes pre-installed on new computers? thank you.Anonymous
November 01, 2009
USEFULLAnonymous
November 01, 2009
StudentAnonymous
November 09, 2009
will office starter 2010 also be available for purchase like works is, which also comes pre-installed on new computers? thank you.Anonymous
November 12, 2009
It would be greatly helpful to see a feature comparison between the editions. Also, are there any compatabilty issues between Office 2010 starter edition and Office 2007?Anonymous
November 12, 2009
What features of Excel and Word (if any) will be disabled for the starter edition? Great change of business model to start this new scheme.Anonymous
November 15, 2009
Yep, waiting to download office 2010 beta. Anyway I heard some people get early version of Office 2010 beta which come with a USB pen drive. humm how it could be?Anonymous
November 16, 2009
試用版でなく無料でロードができたら、非常に画期的なことといえる。 もし、ベータ版がロードされたら即利用してみたい。Anonymous
November 16, 2009
good newsAnonymous
November 16, 2009
very good for thisAnonymous
November 18, 2009
Brak.Anonymous
November 18, 2009
ms office 2010 product keyAnonymous
November 20, 2009
And what will replace the Access database that I have been using for years? Office Starter team?? Do I have to migrate to Access which overwhelms me?Anonymous
November 21, 2009
Ideas Stolen from Linspire/Xandros CNRAnonymous
November 22, 2009
Good we will I get itAnonymous
November 24, 2009
what i have to do to buy it online?Anonymous
November 24, 2009
I am want to buy itAnonymous
December 05, 2009
Thank you very much for the excellent and useful subject.Anonymous
December 09, 2009
It is wery good! But I want freeware MS Word only (program with minimal capabilities)Anonymous
December 10, 2009
New Office (2007-2010) coming with absolutely stupid interface for lamer only. Pls return back classical interface.Anonymous
December 14, 2009
chi bol ... za sdaAnonymous
January 03, 2010
cool like it. But most of all like the product keys you can buy without having to have the disc. Because i already had microsoft ofiice 2007 already on my pc and all i needed was a product key, but now you can just buy a product key without the disc.Anonymous
January 05, 2010
http://www.getmicrosoftoffice.com/Anonymous
January 05, 2010
- So these "Pre-installed" need key card will be treated like an OEM version of the software? Motherboard failure and you have to buy the License all over again?
- Does Office Std and Pro Plus on Volume Licensing still support 1 PC and 1 laptop by the same user?
- "Office Home and Student boxed product is available in a Family Pack, allowing usage on three PCs in one house" - is this more expensive than the $149 Boxed product? Or did they mean "avaliable AS A family pack"?
- What happened to the 1Q of 2010??!!! :P
Anonymous
January 07, 2010
If my PC did not come with it installed, may I just download it from the web or install it from someone else's disk and then buy the genuine Product Key Card to lock it?Anonymous
January 11, 2010
help me to renew my blog? i am sure, iam can not built web in good i am from indonesa my email: fauzi_bss@yahoo.com give me sampel file in xml ok thankAnonymous
January 23, 2010
I just bought a new laptop PC and need MS Office Home and Student installed on it, mostly for word processing and viewing PowerPoint presentations. My old laptop had my own 2003 version, then a friend upgraded that laptop with his 2007 3-PC license version, so I really have no compatible-with-Windows 7-Office software to load onto my new computer. I don't want to purchase an Office H&S 2007 version now and then have to pay more money in six months for an upgrade. Since Office Home and Student 2010 is coming out in June and a free download beta version is available now, should I download the free 2010 beta and use it temporarily until the full version becomes available for sale?Anonymous
January 25, 2010
looks goodAnonymous
January 30, 2010
The comment has been removedAnonymous
February 02, 2010
allhamdullillah, yaa Allah SWT engkau telah berikan sebagian kecil dari kekuasaan-MU dimuka bumi ini.Anonymous
February 04, 2010
thanks for shariingAnonymous
February 05, 2010
2010Anonymous
February 16, 2010
get free information and give me viewAnonymous
February 17, 2010
Thanks for sharing i will get back to u..Anonymous
February 21, 2010
if you really want office 2010, download the beta for free. its available with a free licence until august/september 2010. get it from microsoft http://us2.office2010beta.microsoft.com/default.aspx?culture=en-USAnonymous
February 21, 2010
How many new ways can u do a spreadsheet? a word Processor? I remember the original Word for Windows - it was the only reason I started using the Windows OS, it was that good. But I do not know if office 2007 or 2010 are worth the money. Vista is a dog. So I have been unwilling to take time to do office 2007. The reason for MS to make new versions is obvious. BG needs more $ 2 save the world. (PROFIT) not a dirty word but I think we are paying for "innovation" we do not need. Open Office has been on most of my computers since I got choked by Vista. I have gone back to XP to get some speed and performance. Of course the problem with Open Office is the opposite of MS Office. Lack of profit motive reduces incentive for spinning out new versions and reduces innovation. Will we wind up living in the clouds? Who knows? New ways to buy and try how about going back to upgrade pricing breaks?Anonymous
March 03, 2010
Its very goodAnonymous
March 08, 2010
i think we all should look forward to buy new Microsoft edition or atleast buy it rather then using pirated ones :)Anonymous
March 09, 2010
Nice Article, informative and interestingAnonymous
March 14, 2010
Nice Article, informative and interesting <a href="http://www.sinemag.com/filmler/vizyondaki-filmler.html" title="Vizyondaki Filmler">Vizyondaki Filmler</a> | <a href="http://www.sinemag.com/fragman-izle.html" title="Fragman izle">Fragman izle</a>Anonymous
March 16, 2010
Да ладно! Все кто ведется не интерфейс новый и удобный - не перейдет на open office!Anonymous
April 03, 2010
Haha in 2nd video he says "empire straight building"Anonymous
April 04, 2010
The comment has been removedAnonymous
April 06, 2010
Hmmm, wonder what's in this "freebie" it for Msft. IMO it's not just to address the marketing concepts of Open Office or Google Docs... gotta be something having to do with PRIVACY, e.g., Internet usaage tracking etc. The ads are not just a step backwards, they are a step into the popup mentality/disrespect of ppl that has become a certain "corporate" value system I don't want to invite into my offices.Anonymous
April 30, 2010
I would like to use the office 2010 key card versions but I am not buying a new PC. And even when I do buy a new pc, the first thing I do is wipe it clean of crapware and install a clean copy of Windows. Since that would wipe out my pre-loaded OEM copy of Office 2010, and I refuse to reload the OEM disk installing all that crapware againe, I guess I will stick with open office. I have an MSDN subscription that gives me one installation free (or at least included in the MSDN price) and I still use open office since Office 2007 came out. Actually, I have two free Office 2007s. I also got one at an Office 2007 launch event. So with two free copies, I still choose open office. Wonder why that is. But the key card install issues is still legitimate for me; I bought Office 2007 Home and Student for each of my kids for use at their homes. It doesn't sound like I will be doing that with Office 2010 if I can't get it as a download. Granted, I bought retail CDs for 2007 but now I look at the price difference for 2010 in key card versus CD and I refuse to pay the CD premium just because of a silly licensing scheme for OEMs.Anonymous
May 30, 2010
The comment has been removedAnonymous
June 13, 2010
You're now paying 3x times the prices for your home and student edition of 2010 since they don't really tell you that you can install or upgrade all 3 users you previously have or now want.Anonymous
June 22, 2010
Thanks for a informative post, can we convert the Office 2010 trial we download from Microsoft into a full functional software by purchasing the retail product key card (with our required version in mind ofcourse). I want to use Outlook 2010 at home, so I guess home business version ? Also, when I purchase the retail license does that make me eligible to use it on my desktop and my laptop too ? Will be greatful for your reply on this. Kind regardsAnonymous
June 24, 2010
Help please, the nice store known as Currys! sold me a laptop and a product key for Office Home and Student 2010 telling me it was preloaded on my new laptop...... wrong it had 2007 on it, they don't seem to want to know so no i have the key how do i download the product ?Anonymous
June 30, 2010
I definitively think this version is going to be an easier way for people in general or with no experience at all in Microsoft Office software. I believe to be extremely user friendly. Very self explanatory for easier understanding. Excellent.Anonymous
July 02, 2010
The comment has been removedAnonymous
July 08, 2010
I bought MS Home and Business 2010 from Sams Club. MS web server and instructions are incomplete. Finally got through to their website as instucted, got a "key" (number) and then a blank screen. I sit in front of my brand new HP computer and don't know how to get MS H and Office installed.Anonymous
August 16, 2010
The comment has been removedAnonymous
August 16, 2010
6 hours and 6 nationalities with difficult accents to negotiate to get this into the computer then a 2.5 download time. While the ingredients are fine, getting them into the computer was painful and a waste of 8 hours. never agin Microsoft.Anonymous
August 19, 2010
Hi,you can try this one: http://password-genius.comAnonymous
August 25, 2010
The comment has been removedAnonymous
August 26, 2010
goodAnonymous
August 28, 2010
You can purchase a digital copy of MS Office Pro Plus 2010 from this very cool website: wwwDOTsoftwareonlinesellerDOTcom/office-2010-c-10DOThtml But read the FAQ first, you can only download it on 1 computer : /Anonymous
August 29, 2010
a kind of password finder named Password Geniu supports Windows products. just google it.Anonymous
August 31, 2010
Although the idea is good, this product creates far too much hassle. I'm not going to regurgitate the problems that i have had like other users here. But suffice to say i'm about ready to take my own with a blunt, rusty spoon. Thanks Microsoft.Anonymous
September 01, 2010
I purchased Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010, installed it in a computer that I had to exchange. Now that I have my new computer it does not seem to recognise my product key. What should I do to get this software loaded>Anonymous
September 01, 2010
this site is trouble j3j3monAnonymous
September 02, 2010
Please show help me to test trial version of office 2010Anonymous
September 02, 2010
This click-to-run should be an "option" shown right up front when people download "any" of the Office 2010 suites. It is creating a lot of headaches for people who are using software that integrates with Office, where as soon as they upgrade to Office 2010, these other applications break when trying to interface with Office products. So us developers, have to tell users that they need to uninstall Office 2010, log into the site where they purchased it, enter their Live ID, and hunt for the Advanced option to download the full MSI version. Come on, MS, don't you realize that a lot of people use Office for the fact that their other software integrates with it? Don't shoot your developers in the foot. Show the download options right up front when users download any of the Office 2010 suites. And include a blurb about possible considerations. (such as: Do you use other software that integrates with Office products?). Thank you.Anonymous
September 04, 2010
There came a failure under the konfiguration of 'click to run' - what a I going to do?Anonymous
April 08, 2014
When the office updates were released last patch Tuesday, there were a couple of issues of mine that