Now almost everything is becoming a subscription. Companies have realized how great it is to have predictable and recurring revenue, and many have succumbed to this practice, although not always entirely justified. Fortunately, there are still exceptions, and one of them is the company led by Satya Nadella.

good for microsoft. They promised and they delivered. This is an especially weird and wonderful thing in an age where more and more companies and developers are trying to turn their products into subscriptions. Office 365 has been around for years, but here we must credit Microsoft for a huge value: continuing to offer versions of Office where the license is perpetual: you pay once and you keep it for life.

There are disadvantages, of course.. Of course, these permanent versions of Office have the downside that they may not be updated or gain new features as frequently, but for many users this is not a problem.

Perfect for those who do the same thing almost all the time. For example, I am still using a version of Office 2021 for macOS that I don’t think I will update for another few years, and although there are undoubtedly attractive options in the subscription version, my use of these applications is quite traditional. and limited: I don’t need more.

Pretty Windows 11 interface. Fortunately, Office 2024 includes many new features that have improved Microsoft 365 in recent years. The visual interface is changing to a new theme that’s more in line with Windows 11’s Fluent Design design language, and there are dramatic changes to Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, more information of which you can find in the official announcement.

Microsoft account. Although Microsoft states that a Microsoft account and internet connection are required, this is likely only to install the package, activate it, and access security updates. Office 2024 is available for Windows 10, Windows 11, and the three latest versions of macOS.

two versions. It is available in two different versions. The first is Office Home 2024, which retails for 149 euros (the same price in US dollars) and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. If we want to have Outlook, we will have to choose the Office Home and Business 2024 version, which costs 299 euros (I wonder, the price is $ 249.99 in the USA) and includes the right to use these applications. for commercial purposes.

Long live perpetual licenses. Microsoft’s decision breathes new life into an industry that is increasingly leading us to the phenomenon of subscription fatigue: there are too many subscriptions and the cost does not stop increasing, sometimes exaggeratedly. Giving users the option to purchase products with a perpetual license is something that should be expanded to many more services and products.

Image | Ed Hardie

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