After its beta testing since March of this year, Microsoft officially launched its Office 2016 for Mac, which is already available across Windows, Android and iOS devices. This new version for OS X brings new features and a new uniform experience.
A report by Techcrunch said that the updated software will be first made available to Office 365 subscribers-those who are either using Office 365 Home, Personal, Business, Business Premium, E3 or ProPlus subscription.
Depending on the need, users can buy subscription for Office 365. Office 365 Personal is priced at $6.99 for home users, while Office 365 Home is priced at $9.99 a month. A discount is reportedly available for students who wish to use Office 2016 for Mac, but some reports indicated that the software could even be free.
Business Standard reported that first time users can get an Office 2016 subscription at office.com/Mac while existing customers can install from their account page.
New versions of Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and OneNote are the new features of this latest offering which will be available in 139 countries and 16 languages. Feature design for Mac users like Full screen view, multi-touch features and Retina support are also key features. Switching between devices for convenience or collaboration is easy with its cloud integration. Subscribers can also expect quarterly updates.
According to Live Mint, these updates involve quicker bug fixes, regular performance optimizations, and new features will be delivered sooner.
Contrary to previous news about its standalone version, Microsoft pointed out that it will not become available until September. Also, the price or market value of the software is still unkown.
If you are not thrilled with paying for monthly subscriptions (given that the price for this new suite may not come cheap for many), and are willing to wait, the not-yet-announced release of this stand-alone version is an ideal option for you and those who do not want to dish out subscription fees.
