Last week, I tried to get a subscription to Microsoft Office. I expected to simply find an Office licence that included what I needed for a simple price. Instead, I discovered that Microsoft's Office licenses are infuriatingly complex, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get what they need without overspending.
Office Online already offers real-time collaboration on file editing between multiple people, and that feature has been promised for the desktop version of Office 2016, but it hasn't showed up in the previews so far. The latest update to Office 2016 brings it a lot closer.
Microsoft rolled out a preview version of Office 2016 in March, but that was restricted to IT pros and developers and required registration. Now the beta version of the office suite is available more broadly.
Microsoft announced its plans for Office 2016 back in January, and then released a preview version including Word, Excel and PowerPoint for Windows 10 testers. Now the full suite is available as a beta preview for IT pros and developers.
One of the key announcements during the Windows 10 briefing earlier this month was Office 2016, which will run as a universal app across all Windows 10 devices. If you're running the Windows 10 Technical Preview, you can now download beta versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint from that suite.
The next version of Microsoft Office will be called Office 2016, and will appear in the second half of 2015 (go figure). But how does this tie in with Microsoft's ongoing Office 365 plans and the inclusion of Office for free on Windows 10 tablets and phones?
