Microsoft Office 2019 launches for commercial customers

[Polycount]

In brief: Given Microsoft's recent push for service-based software -- such as Office 365 -- that pulls in recurring, monthly revenue, fans of one-time purchases have become a bit worried. Fortunately, that business model isn't dead yet: Microsoft today announced the commercial availability of its Office 2019 suite, which is available for a single upfront fee. Consumer versions of the software will arrive in the coming weeks.

Despite Microsoft's apparent focus on live services which require users to pay a recurring fee for ongoing support and feature additions, there's no denying the strong appeal of a more straightforward business model.

Many customers (myself included) would much rather buy a product like a game, an operating system, or any other piece of software for a one-time fee and move on.

That's precisely why Microsoft's Office suite has remained so popular. Free alternatives like Google Docs exist, but not everybody is interested in cloud-based software suites. Some would prefer to have their documents on their machine, available offline at any given time.

Fortunately, Microsoft will continue to cater to that audience for the foreseeable future. The company today announced that enterprise copies of Office 2019 are now available for Windows and Mac devices.

Office 2019 includes updated versions of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Windows users will also be able to use Publisher, Access, Project, and Visio.

So, what new features does Office 2019 bring to the table?

To start with, PowerPoint now offers "cinematic presentation" features like Morph and Zoom, while Excel is adding new formulas, charts, and enhancements to "PowerPivot," all of which should serve to improve data analysis.

Office 2019 is also focusing on accessibility, with features like Read Aloud and Text Spacing, while Focus Mode is designed to "block out distractions." All three of these tools are coming to both Word and Outlook.

From a design perspective, not much seems to be changing between Office 2016 and Office 2019. The latter's editing tools and menus all appear to be in roughly the same location as they were before, and the software's aesthetics look similar as well.

If you want to take Office 2019 out for a spin as an ordinary user, you'll have to wait a bit longer. The consumer version of the software will launch sometime in the "coming weeks," with a $249 price tag for a single license.

Image courtesy Windows Report

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https://www.techspot.com/news/76598-microsoft-office-2019-launches-commercial-customers.html

 

[EEatGDL]

What?!! $250?!! I hope I also get a 90% discount on that one, being an employee of a Microsoft partner company.

 

[cliffordcooley]

As a hobbyist I can't see continuing to pay these prices. They need to come out with a limited version that doesn't cost so much. Maybe even a community edition for free, like they did with Visual Studio.

 

[Evernessince]

I could get this for $50 being a Microsoft Office Master and that's still a waste of money for my home computers. LibreOffice is free and it's darn good.

 

[DaveBG]

I do not want to "sign in" with office FFS! I will always work on an offline computer because of this spyware. I do not microsoft gathering all my documents!

 

[BSim500]

We jumped ship to LibreOffice a while back (both personal & family owned small business). Don't regret a single day. It's been quite amusing to watch the MS fanboys who previously complained about "outdated" UI vs "futuristic" ribbon go full circle and end up quietly praising Microsoft's new gradual return to same File, Insert, etc, menu + toolbar buttons again... (Reminds me of the funny shill reviews gushing over how life-changing Vista's Sidebar would be...)

 

[fktech]

Excel is terrific!

 

[Squid Surprise]

The enterprise version is they key... Any revenue MS makes from home installs is simply gravy. There are still companies that need offline "office" applications. And free alternatives don't offer the same support and features that MS is still the world leader in. And $250 (probably much less for volume licenses) to a large company is a drop in the ocean.

 

[misor]

If I were MS CEO, I'd rather call the new mso 'office 2020', a reference to clear vision 20-20...

 

[tipstir]

I currently have to use it for business but I am on MS Office Pro 2016. What changes do I need for 2019 and don't see much of need to get on 2019. Sure by 2025 we'll have another version again. As backup I use WPS 2016 Free, the former KingSoft Office 2013 Free. I have to block a lot of it's outgoing ads etc in these free version. I like Office 2016 they're fixed a lot things in it. VB app which it started out as it has come a long way. I do need MS Project, MS Visio what I have has Skype for Business, OneNote 2016 as business features as well. Full Office package takes up too, but still needed today's business world. I am sure 2019 will be implemented soon

 

[ShagnWagn]

I have legally purchased versions of Office, but through re-installs of my operating systems, they keep using licenses. I have run out of installing Office on the same computers over and over. They require a phone call to authenticate them, and that really ticks me off.

I have dumped Office because of the hassle and now use OpenOffice (free). I don't do anything over complicated anyway, so it works well for me. Microsoft - you lost money because of your licensing schemes. Not just from me, but everyone I build computers for (whom I make sure have legal software). Thank you for bringing back the purchase option anyway.

 

[Teko03]

As a hobbyist I can't see continuing to pay these prices. They need to come out with a limited version that doesn't cost so much. Maybe even a community edition for free, like they did with Visual Studio.

Office.com is completely free and does what most basic users need.

 

[Kibaruk]

I'm flabbergasted by the replies here...

You don't want to pay $250 for home usage, that's completely understandable and makes a whole lot of sense, but don't come to a forum to itch about it, this would make a whole lot more sense.

Spyware as it's called by some... come on and grow up already... I have a friend who puts a piece of plastic on his phone camera as he says it makes him feel more secure and private, I showed him an article from 2011 where the internal gyroscope of a phone can actually be used as a keylogger. If you value your privacy, it's super cool, you are invited to live under a rock but please pretty please stop with all the conspiracy theories.

You don't require all the features from Office solutions and you are happy with Docs or OpenOffice or LibreOffice or whateverOffice, that's fine too, but again... stop throwing shoot to the ceiling, we get it, you are online and feel anonymously empowered to shove your idea over other people but it's getting so ducking old so freaking fast.

Stop hating the cloud, I know, as humans we love and feel comfortable with what we know and we hate everything that brings change, but, it's here to stay pretty much the same as every new design for webpages services and what not, embrace it, it's actually really cool and will do wonders for you if you use it correctly.

/rantoff

 

[cliffordcooley]

The topic is offline application.

 

[Kibaruk]

Microsoft - you lost money because of your licensing schemes. Not just from me, but everyone I build computers for (whom I make sure have legal software). Thank you for bringing back the purchase option anyway.

They must still be shaking over it...

I currently have to use it for business but I am on MS Office Pro 2016. What changes do I need for 2019 and don't see much of need to get on 2019.

There are some cool things around 2019, but it's more business (And comercial first release for a reason) rather than home consumer oriented. If your company works with O365 you will see a lot of goodies.

I do not want to "sign in" with office FFS! I will always work on an offline computer because of this spyware. I do not microsoft gathering all my documents!

When did you start thinking that Microsoft is interested in YOUR documents, do you know how many Fortune 500 companies are in O365? Are you really that egocentric that think your stuff is important to them??

I have legally purchased versions of Office, but through re-installs of my operating systems, they keep using licenses. I have run out of installing Office on the same computers over and over. They require a phone call to authenticate them, and that really ticks me off.

Unless you are doing it every couple of weeks, I don't see why it should be a hassle, I don't see why you should be reinstalling your OS so often either but that's just lol.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I don't see why you should be reinstalling your OS so often either but that's just lol.

A new build is released every 6 months. The new build is a install whether you do it manually or through Windows Update. Since I have a dozen or more machines. I'd rather manually install from one download, than have Windows Update download it 12 or more times. Since I'm taking my time to manually save my bandwidth. I might as well do a clean install each time.

 

[Kibaruk]

A new build is released every 6 months. The new build is a install whether you do it manually or through Windows Update. Since I have a dozen or more machines. I'd rather manually install from one download, than have Windows Update download it 12 or more times. Since I'm taking my time to manually save my bandwidth. I might as well do a clean install each time.

There is actually an option that will let you download the update through other computers in the LAN, it might be faster than clean install each time
https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10-windows-update-delivery-optimization

The topic is offline application.

However, the cloud was still brought and I wanted to give my 2 cents.

 

[cliffordcooley]

There is actually an option that will let you download the update through other computers in the LAN, it might be faster than clean install each time

If only that worked.

 

[DaveBG]

.When did you start thinking that Microsoft is interested in YOUR documents, do you know how many Fortune 500 companies are in O365? Are you really that egocentric that think your stuff is important to them??

So why are they collecting it smart man? Because they have too many HDDs and have no idea what else to do with them right? MS spyware infested software defenders like you are very funny...
If you need this to be explained to you - realize that I do not care why they do collect them, I just may (shockingly) do not want my stuff to be somewhere else regardless if human or just some script will analyze them...

 

[Squid Surprise]

So why are they collecting it smart man? Because they have too many HDDs and have no idea what else to do with them right? MS spyware infested software defenders like you are very funny...
If you need this to be explained to you - realize that I do not care why they do collect them, I just may (shockingly) do not want my stuff to be somewhere else regardless if human or just some script will analyze them...

They want your info to improve their AI software... it's nothing malevolent... no one is going to take your precious billion dollar business idea from your MS Word document...

 

[DaveBG]

They want your info to improve their AI software... it's nothing malevolent... no one is going to take your precious billion dollar business idea from your MS Word document...

Yeah so we can all be optimistic and fine about it? No one will ever hack microsoft , no one will ever leak the data, no one will ever quit their job and dump something to a flash drive on his way out etc etc... Which one is it? History have proven you wrong.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Yeah so we can all be optimistic and fine about it? No one will ever hack microsoft , no one will ever leak the data, no one will ever quit their job and dump something to a flash drive on his way out etc etc... Which one is it? History have proven you wrong.

While this is all possible... YOU have a far greater chance of being hacked than MS does.... the data isn’t kept in separate files by the way - it’s not like someone just copies your documents to a folder and leaves them there for anyone to just look at! MS gleans pertinent info FROM the document, where it is aggregated into useful info for their AI.... yes, it’s theoretically possible for it to be stolen - but only as a giant “pile of stuff”... your individual files would still be safe.

 

[DaveBG]

While this is all possible... YOU have a far greater chance of being hacked than MS does.... the data isn’t kept in separate files by the way - it’s not like someone just copies your documents to a folder and leaves them there for anyone to just look at! MS gleans pertinent info FROM the document, where it is aggregated into useful info for their AI.... yes, it’s theoretically possible for it to be stolen - but only as a giant “pile of stuff”... your individual files would still be safe.

Strange I cannot remember last time someone private (especially someone security aware like me) that has been hacked , yet every single day many many companies get destroyed and owned and millions upon millions of users data being exposed and sold on the dark web...

 

[Squid Surprise]

Strange I cannot remember last time someone private (especially someone security aware like me) that has been hacked , yet every single day many many companies get destroyed and owned and millions upon millions of users data being exposed and sold on the dark web...

Please tell me you are joking.... people get hacked every day... LARGE corporations get hacked VERY rarely... It's so rare that when it DOES happen, it makes the news...

Companies that have more than 10,000 employees tend to have much stronger security than the average Joe... How many "company hacked" stories have we seen this year? Maybe 10? How many PEOPLE have been hacked this year? Let's try MILLIONS!!!

 

[Kibaruk]

@Squid Surprise don't waste time man, obtuse people are simply obtuse.

It's simple, in 2015 (where I could find data), 80% of Fortune 500 companies are using O365, they couldn't care less about what someone is using at home... "Everyone of the 10 people I build computers for I've recommended to use libreoffice", yup, Microsoft is shaking hardly.