I don’t think paying $119 a year for five licences of Office 365 Home Premium for 12 months is particularly bad value, but some users have complained about the cost. If you’re in that camp, a slightly cheaper option is on the drawing board: Office 365 Personal.
The Personal edition will cost $9 a month or $89 a year for Australian customers. That $30 saving means you don’t get as many licences: you can use it on one computer (either a PC or a Mac) and one tablet.
The new option will be released in the (Australian) autumn, which could be any time between April and June. Home Premium will remain and its pricing won’t change, but the branding will switch simply to Office 365 Home.
If you live on your own and own a single PC, then Personal might be more appealing. However, in most contexts I still think Home Premium is better value (assuming you want/need to pay for Office rather than sticking with free alternatives such as Google Drive, Office Web Apps or LibreOffice). It’s yet another example of decoy pricing: $119 for 5 desktop licences is much better value than $89 for one.
Announcing Office 365 Personal [Official Microsoft Blog]
Comments
7 responses to “A Cheaper Microsoft Office 365: What The Personal Edition Will Cost In Australia”
I’ve been using Libre office since MS went to the subscription method, and find it perfectly adequate, and even easier to use. Don’t get me wrong, Office is a brilliant piece of kit, I just don’t like paying constantly for a product that really should be a bi, or tri-yearly purchase at best. Not to mention the size of the thing on your system nowadays. Hell if I could still use my old copy from a few years back on Windows 8.1 I’d still be using that…!
I’m still using 2007 on Win8, does everything I need it to fine!
Why not just purchase Office 2013 outright? Takes up less space than previous versions, runs quick, installs quick. One off cost and you’re done for another 10 years.
If you manage to get say, 4 others (in my family, that’s done in an *instant*) to go in with you on a 365 package for 108 dollars, that becomes 21.60 per person per year. Across 10 years, that becomes 216 dollars. This is of course not taking into account an increase in price. Given that if the Pro/Home-Office prices increase the 365 prices will as well, this can be kept at the same price.
Now, across 10 years, you will spend:
10 x 21.60 = 216 approx. on 10 years worth of Office 365. (Bear in mind, I HAVE seen other places selling them for 99? I’ve seen JB selling them for 99 as well. But we’ll use the more expensive 108 as its more common.)
or
240 for Office 2013 (and more for further upgrades) Home – Office. Let’s assume that at least ONE time you will upgrade, because you will in ten years, after all, you’re not still using Office 2003 right now are you? We’ll say you’ve just shelled out 400? (Assuming non inflation for price of office 2003 which at one stage was merely 160 for home-office equivelant).
Even if you DIDNT, you’d still be at 240, 25 dollars behind. Not MUCH but its still something.
If you went the PRO package, you’d be looking at 499. Given one upgrade across a decade??? You’re looking at 800-1000 in total. That’s a huge difference right there.
Now, if you DON’T get others to go in with you you’re wasting your money. If you DO, then you’re making a saving.
There’s also the futureproofing issue. If MS does dick around with its OS again and requires a total software change of some sort, the version of Office you require, will be able to be upgraded, no worries if you’re on 365. With a fully purchased version, you will get some sort of patch but the only version that will be fully compatible will be the next iteration.
TL:DR? Get people to go in on it with you and you’ll save in the long run in comparison to buying it, if you don’t though and just buy by yourself instead of in a group? Well, you’re wasting money. Because that’s what multiple licenses are for.
Was in reply to @timmahh . But I agree completely!
I agree even if it is around $250 to purchase outright – it’s still better overall but mainly because 2013 is still early in its life-cycle.
Office 365 is there to automatically update to the latest version for you but i still believe outright purchases will always end up costing less than subscriptions.
I’ve written two books with LibreOffice and donate $100 a year to their efforts – well worth it.