Microsoft office

[Deleted User] · 02/10/11 - 21:36

Hi,
This is the first time I am posting on this forum. I am about to buy a laptop for Uni and need microsoft office, I was wondering if there is an alternative to microsoft office which I can get for free.
Thanks

1saintly · 02/10/11 - 21:42

Not legally, and as its you're first time on the forum you should read the terms and conditions about people offering illegal advice!

Other options may be to use
http://filehippo.com/download_openoffice/9171/
or
http://filehippo.com/download_libreoffice/

Both fine and recommended alternatives to microsoft and FREE

Loobster · 02/10/11 - 21:46

If you need the 'real thing' you can get Office 2010 Home and Student for 85 quid from Amazon.co.uk.

scooby1970 · 02/10/11 - 21:47

1saintly wrote: »

Not legally, and as its you're first time on the forum you should read the terms and conditions about people offering illegal advice!

Other options may be to use
http://filehippo.com/download_openoffice/9171/
or
http://filehippo.com/download_libreoffice/

Both fine and recommended alternatives to microsoft and FREE

My neice is in the 3rd year in Uni on a 5 year course and has sworn by Open Office as mentioned, plus for her graphics shes used GimpShop (Gimp with a Paint Shop Pro front-end). Never had any problems with any of them.

Mark

soulboy77 · 02/10/11 - 21:48

Students can buy MS Office at a substantial discount - http://www.software4students.co.uk/Microsoft_Office_2010_Professional_Plus-details.aspx?gclid=CJHBnpfvyqsCFQIKfAodaDYJ0w now £37.89

[Deleted User] · 02/10/11 - 21:56

1saintly wrote: »

Not legally, and as its you're first time on the forum you should read the terms and conditions about people offering illegal advice!

Other options may be to use
http://filehippo.com/download_openoffice/9171/
or
http://filehippo.com/download_libreoffice/

Both fine and recommended alternatives to microsoft and FREE

Thank you for your advice, both on the T&C and the links. BTW I have edited my OP, hope this is ok.

GetFrodo · 03/10/11 - 09:57

I would go for LibreOffice as I understand that many of the OpenOffice programmers have moved to LibreOffice, and it is getting updates.

OpenOffice is only interesting if you need it properly supported (personal users don't).

Edit: it would have been nice if the OP had not invisibly edited his post as the following reply now makes no sense!

mred2000 · 03/10/11 - 10:24

scooby1970 wrote: »

GimpShop (Gimp with a Paint Shop Pro front-end).

It's Gimp with a PHOTOSHOP front end. But, yeah, it's always been fine for me when I've been stuck without Photoshop and needed it in the past.

c4rv · 03/10/11 - 11:13

Check with your uni IT department. Most have very cheap or free deals for MS Office.

Alan F · 03/10/11 - 11:20

If you buy a new laptop you will have a free version of Word and Excel installed. It is the starter version and has adds but probably perfectly OK for what you want.

However MS Office 2010 Pro from software4students.co.uk for <£40, for 2 machines, is really an offer which is difficult to refuse and is much better than paying PC World for a key to upgrade the free starter version already installed.

scooby1970 · 03/10/11 - 11:22

mred2000 wrote: »

It's Gimp with a PHOTOSHOP front end. But, yeah, it's always been fine for me when I've been stuck without Photoshop and needed it in the past.

My mistake, don't know why I wrote that. Think it was the heat of the day yesterday.

There are some great freeware programs out there though for students and business that work perfectly well. Our office use Libre Office and it works seemlesly with other companies documents etc.

Mark

TheBigM · 03/10/11 - 11:28

You can get Office 2010 Professional Academic for £50 from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/student/office/en-gb/default.aspx

Mike_1101 · 03/10/11 - 16:29

GetFrodo wrote: »

I would go for LibreOffice as I understand that many of the OpenOffice programmers have moved to LibreOffice, and it is getting updates.

OpenOffice is only interesting if you need it properly supported (personal users don't).

Edit: it would have been nice if the OP had not invisibly edited his post as the following reply now makes no sense!

LibreOffice also has the advantage of old style menus for those who don't like "The Ribbon".

Having said that I also have MS Office 2007 (it's a long story why) and to be honest "the ribbon" isn't that bad once you get used to it. I don't think it's a vast improvement though.

TelevisionUser · 12/04/14 - 17:02

I have been quite impressed by Softmaker's Free Office in terms of ease of use and compatibility with Microsoft Office - http://www.freeoffice.com/. There's also a paid-for version which I'd get if I were getting a new PC - http://www.softmaker.com/english/of_en.htm.

tellytart1 · 12/04/14 - 17:30

Or you can subscribe to Office 365 - £7.99 a month, and allows you to download the full version of Office Professional and install on up to 5 PC's/Macs, and you can update to the latest release while your subscription is still ongoing.

scooby1970 · 12/04/14 - 18:03

Something you may find useful is this article here. All tried and tested and all well up to competing with Microsofts Office.

Mark

c4rv · 13/04/14 - 00:46

tried to move away from ms office using but open office and google docs. Most apps are 90% of the way there in replacing functionality but every app had a show stopper. For word it was fonts, for excel is was macro support and for PowerPoint it was transitions,

TelevisionUser · 13/04/14 - 17:36

tellytart1 wrote: »

Or you can subscribe to Office 365 - £7.99 a month, and allows you to download the full version of Office Professional and install on up to 5 PC's/Macs, and you can update to the latest release while your subscription is still ongoing.

However, that is an ongoing cash flow to Microsoft and I can see some professional businesses going this route but perhaps fewer home users.

scooby1970 wrote: »

Something you may find useful is this article here. All tried and tested and all well up to competing with Microsofts Office.

Mark

Yes, that is a constructive discussion and there are specifications here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_office_suites

NewWorldMan · 13/04/14 - 17:56

TelevisionUser wrote: »

However, that is an ongoing cash flow to Microsoft and I can see some professional businesses going this route but perhaps fewer home users.

Yes, in the long run Office will just be used by business and MS-centric developers like myself who need to interact with it.

Also, business is locked in to a large extent due to integration with apps such as SharePoint and CRM. Can't see this changing in the near future.

At the moment MS need to keep raking in cash from Office as it generates half their profits.

barky99 · 13/04/14 - 18:06

Libreoffice best of the freebies, has features also free openoffice lacks

Will depend partly on what Uni course involves, might be microsoft leaning apps involved?

Office 365 means you are paying a licence to use your files, hardly ideal

TelevisionUser · 15/04/14 - 19:41

Whilst Microsoft still appears to have the largest market share in respect of office suites, the two main threats are from online alternatives, e.g. Google Docs (see http://www.technologyguide.com/feature/cloud-based-office-suites/), and the free office suites (see http://www.italovignoli.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tietokone.png).

Microsoft's formats are the de facto standard which helps them and, if they wish to stay ahead, they'll have to avoid disastrous Windows 8-style makeovers in the future to their prime product.

NewWorldMan · 16/04/14 - 12:06

TelevisionUser wrote: »

Microsoft's formats are the de facto standard which helps them and, if they wish to stay ahead, they'll have to avoid disastrous Windows 8-style makeovers in the future to their prime product.

Some would say the ribbon was a disastrous Windows 8-style makeover but it doesn't seem to have done them any harm. The installed base for Office is so huge that it would probably require a series of disastrous releases before a significant dent is made. Even with poorly received Win 8 and slow PC sales MS increased sales and profits in the past year.

[Deleted User] · 16/04/14 - 13:36

Google 'dreamspark' and see if you can get MS office for free. Some universities have agreements with Microsoft. My university (Leeds), for example, has the office suite and windows 8.1 as a free download.

TelevisionUser · 16/04/14 - 23:07

Both Software4Students and Amazon UK are offering Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 for under £100 but please note that Office 2013 cannot be installed on XP or Vista systems.

Debb1e · 16/04/14 - 23:22

weight_obsessed wrote: »

Hi,
This is the first time I am posting on this forum. I am about to buy a laptop for Uni and need microsoft office, I was wondering if there is an alternative to microsoft office which I can get for free.
Thanks

There are a couple of free alternatives to MS Office that are compatible with office files (docx, xlsx etc.) They are LibreOffice and OpenOffice and they are excellent.

EDIT: Sorry, just read the other replies to the OP and I see these have already been recommended.

kirstiemcnabb · 17/04/14 - 08:13

There is the office 365 personal now for only £59
Use it on your phone, tablet and a PC
Bargain really, if you do not need the Family option

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/products/buy-office-365-personal-FX104160403.aspx

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