Microsoft Office 2013 Australia Pricing

The latest word is that Office 2013 365 will cost $16.50/month ($198/year):

Office 365 Enterprise Plans Cost More Because Of Australian Hosting | Lifehacker Australia

One can buy Office 2013 Home and Business for $251 or Professional for $514 and prices will likely drop further:

Office 365 Enterprise Plans Cost More Because Of Australian Hosting | Lifehacker Australia

Now obviously the latter are for one PC only, but if all the tales that we are hearing lately are true, that people are moving away from the desktop onto tablets and the like and not needing full office etc capability, then most people will only have one desktop in the house.

To that end, one licence would be more than enough and would be sufficient for many years to come. That then questions the need for Office 365, which locks you into a subscription service, ostensibly forever, and with potential price increases as well.

That kind of indicates that the standalone version of Office may well be the best option for most people, rather than Office 365.

One device, you want to get out into the real world Ray, people have multiple devices. I can't ever see a time when I'll just have one device. Also have you ever heard of a family, I know they haven't been around for long, but they do exist.

I'm paying $12 per month for Office 365 and happy to pay it, but that's just me, other people might have different ideas.

I'm probably lying though, I make up all sorts of stories about what I own and the countries I've been to.

if all the tales that we are hearing lately are true,...then most people will only have one desktop in the house.

Click to expand...

It may be moving that way.

...but if all the tales that we are hearing lately are true, that people are moving away from the desktop onto tablets and the like...

Click to expand...

Can someone tell me how that gets interpreted to mean people only use one device?

BillWindows said:

One device, you want to get out into the real world Ray, people have multiple devices. I can't ever see a time when I'll just have one device. Also have you ever heard of a family, I know they haven't been around for long, but they do exist.

Click to expand...

I'm beginning to understand why it's so difficult to get points across on this forum.

Ray8 said:

...but if all the tales that we are hearing lately are true, that people are moving away from the desktop onto tablets and the like...

Click to expand...

Can someone tell me how that gets interpreted to mean people only use one device?

BillWindows said:

One device, you want to get out into the real world Ray, people have multiple devices. I can't ever see a time when I'll just have one device. Also have you ever heard of a family, I know they haven't been around for long, but they do exist.

Click to expand...

I'm beginning to understand why it's so difficult to get points across on this forum.

Click to expand...

. To that end, one licence would be more than enough and would be sufficient for many years to come. That then questions the need for Office 365,

Click to expand...

Thats why it's so hard to get your point across Ray, you say one thing then when someone questions it you try to back out of what you said.

I wasn't lying or exaggerating about that village Ray, it's near Emmen close to the border of Germany and Holland, way up in the North.

Ray
Can someone tell me how that gets interpreted to mean people only use one device?

Click to expand...

It could be - if English is not the native language of the reader. There could be other explanations - the inability to think normally as the result of drugs, mental health issues or exhaustion for example.

I know Jimbo but it's not as if I'm broke or anything, and for me at this point in time it makes sense, I don't have to outlay a lot of money and I can cop out whenever I want.

I'm using OneNote to collate all my travels at the moment with photos and maps etc and I can do that across all my devices, whether I'm lying in bed with an iPad or watching TV with an iPad or sitting at my PC.
The iPad is severely limited in what it can do so I need the full version and it will probably take many months to get everything together in a way I want. I've tried to do it in several journal type programmes but I find OneNote the best.

I also use Word and Excel and I used to be very good at Access to make databases years ago, so I'll probably play around with that for a while.
When I'm finished I can opt out if need be, that's the way I'm looking at it.

BillWindows said:

One device, you want to get out into the real world Ray, people have multiple devices. I can't ever see a time when I'll just have one device. Also have you ever heard of a family, I know they haven't been around for long, but they do exist.

I'm paying $12 per month for Office 365 and happy to pay it, but that's just me, other people might have different ideas.

I'm probably lying though, I make up all sorts of stories about what I own and the countries I've been to.

Click to expand...

Hi there
You might have some decent computer ideas but I don't think I'd value you as a financial advisor. 12 dollars a month is 144 per year which say in 3 years is around 450 dollars !! -- you can buy a whole copy of ENTERPRISE Office 2007 for around 35 dollars and is valid for 3 computers -- for HOME users the extra features in Office 2010 and 2013 /365 are really fairly minimal.

If you want something newer than office 2007 then some Use at Home programs can supply an Enterprise equivalent of Office 2010 for just the cost of the DVD media.

Seems to me MUCH better value for money than an indefinite subscription which will inevitably cost more once Ms suckers more people into buying this type of service.

Just take cars -- most cars are very reliable these days -- buying one say 3 years old and keeping it for say another 5 - 7 years is FAR FAR cheaper than leasing a new car however you look at it. I'm still running a 12 year old BMW series 3 -- (328i) still runs very well indeed -- decently fuel efficient --I run it on LPG anyway which costs about 1/3 per litre compared with a litre of Gas (or "Petrol") and saves me from having to budget every month for Car payments.

Usually subscriptions cost far more than buying outright -- take also Mobile phone contracts -- most people look at say the 500 USD up front cost of buying an unlocked or contract free decent smart phone such as a Galaxy IIIs - but forget that 2 years of paying 30 USD a month on contract is 720 USD -- much more, Costs of calls etc on "Pay as you Go" type sims is almost the same as as contracts which usually have so many "Free minutes" that you don't actually use and all these phones can use WiFi even WITHOUT a SIM in them.

Same with Renting property as opposed to buying -- when I retire my Mortgage is paid so at the end of the month I don't have to budget ANYTHING for monthly rental. If I'm still stuck in rental property then a not ignorable part of my monthly pension income is "Wasted" on Rent.

OK it's not always possible for people to do this but the principle is clear -- it usually pays to BUY outright rather than RENT or LEASE stuff --especially over LONG periods.

Ms wouldn't try the subscription model if they didn't think it would earn them money -- they will probably score BIG TIME with this since people seem to have a mental block when it comes to anything financial.

For Example : Those Payday Loan companies such as WONGA that were kicked out of the USA and Germany are making fortunes in the UK by charging people as much as 4,000% (Yes NO TYPO - 4 THOUSAND PERCENT) interest, and the people taking out these loans have NO IDEA what they are paying as these are advertised by little old ladies saying Take 100 GBP out now and you can have the money in your account in 15 mins and it's only in small letters that this will cost you 25 GBP for 15 days !!!! -- Nowhere is the actual APR rate shown. I'm surprised that "Legal Loansharking" is still allowed in a country that prides itself on having a well regulated and "ethical" Financial services industry -- however a lot of desperate people are suckered in to this and if they miss a payment or two the amounts soon rapidly escalate so people can be paying THOUSANDS OF POUNDS on an initial loan of a few HUNDRED.

If I were running primary school education I'd start teaching youngsters about money management AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE - however that's a totally separate issue.

Cheers
jimbo

SIW2 said:

Ray
Can someone tell me how that gets interpreted to mean people only use one device?

Click to expand...

It could be - if English is not the native language of the reader. There could be other explanations - the inability to think normally as the result of drugs, mental health issues or exhaustion for example.

Click to expand...

.To that end, one licence would be more than enough and would be sufficient for many years to come.

Click to expand...

Please tell me how you would interpret that, I'm not that well versed in the English language.

BillWindows said:

SIW2 said:

Ray
Can someone tell me how that gets interpreted to mean people only use one device?

Click to expand...

It could be - if English is not the native language of the reader. There could be other explanations - the inability to think normally as the result of drugs, mental health issues or exhaustion for example.

Click to expand...

.To that end, one licence would be more than enough and would be sufficient for many years to come.

Click to expand...

Please tell me how you would interpret that, I'm not that well versed in the English language.

Click to expand...

Hi there

?

Cheers
jimbo

SIW2 said:

Ray
Can someone tell me how that gets interpreted to mean people only use one device?

Click to expand...

It could be - if English is not the native language of the reader. There could be other explanations - the inability to think normally as the result of drugs, mental health issues or exhaustion for example.

Click to expand...

I sometimes wonder.

There's been so much discussion here and elsewhere about the decline in PC (desktop) sales and the relentless move towards mobile device, the massive growth of Apple and Android devices as evidence of this. Then we have Microsoft fanboys shouting that Microsoft has to move towards these devices as well or die.

Yet when someone points out the conundrum of selling Office as a subscription model vs standalone, especially on a cost basis, when it's clearly best implemented and used on a desktop, which are supposedly diminishing in sales, some confuse this with completely spurious issues.

Is it a defence mechanism that creates a sense of denial whenever anyone posts something that clearly indicates that things are amiss with Microsoft's current directions?

Ray8 said:

SIW2 said:

Ray
Can someone tell me how that gets interpreted to mean people only use one device?

Click to expand...

It could be - if English is not the native language of the reader. There could be other explanations - the inability to think normally as the result of drugs, mental health issues or exhaustion for example.

Click to expand...

I sometimes wonder.

There's been so much discussion here and elsewhere about the decline in PC (desktop) sales and the relentless move towards mobile device, the massive growth of Apple and Android devices as evidence of this. Then we have Microsoft fanboys shouting that Microsoft has to move towards these devices as well or die.

Yet when someone points out the conundrum of selling Office as a subscription model vs standalone, especially on a cost basis, when it's clearly best implemented and used on a desktop, which are supposedly diminishing in sales, some confuse this with completely spurious issues.

Is it a defence mechanism that creates a sense of denial whenever anyone posts something that clearly indicates that things are amiss with Microsoft's current directions?

Click to expand...

Look Ray, just because its best implemented on a desktop, doesn't mean it can't be used on mobile devices, I'm sure a huge number of University Students will argue with you and I will as well, just because you can't use a tablet doesn't mean other people can't.

Why are you so worried about subscription use, for me it works and I'm sure it will for others, others will have different ideas. I like the ability to have choice, if I don't have a TV and just want to watch one game of football would I go out and buy a $1500 TV or rent one for $100.

jimbo45 said:

For Example : Those Payday Loan companies such as WONGA that were kicked out of the USA and Germany are making fortunes in the UK by charging people as much as 4,000% (Yes NO TYPO - 4 THOUSAND PERCENT) interest, and the people taking out these loans have NO IDEA what they are paying as these are advertised by little old ladies saying Take 100 GBP out now and you can have the money in your account in 15 mins and it's only in small letters that this will cost you 25 GBP for 15 days !!!! -- Nowhere is the actual APR rate shown. I'm surprised that "Legal Loansharking" is still allowed in a country that prides itself on having a well regulated and "ethical" Financial services industry

Click to expand...

Hopelessly off-topic, I know, but Payday loan companies have just been told this week to improve within 12 weeks or risk losing their licence:
BBC News - Payday lenders told to improve by OFT

jimbo45 said:

If I were running primary school education I'd start teaching youngsters about money management AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE - however that's a totally separate issue.

Click to expand...

Good news on this one too, although not at primary level.

From here:
Financial Education

In the UK, we've educated our youth into debt when they go to university — but never about debt. It's time for that to change, and from September 2014 it will!

The Government has announced financial education will form a part of the compulsory national curriculum for all maintained schools in England. It'll be a part of citizenship for 11-16 year olds and there'll be stronger links to it in maths for all ages.

Click to expand...

It might also be a good idea to teach kids at least the most basic principles of marketing.

BillWindows said:

Why are you so worried about subscription use, for me it works and I'm sure it will for others, others will have different ideas. I like the ability to have choice

Click to expand...

I don't like it, but I can see why MS would push people towards the subscription model; Office got good enough to meet many people's needs many years ago so people don't need to upgrade.

As you say, at least there is still a choice, although pricing is very skewed towards subscription. I'm using 10-year old Office 2003, and over that sort of period, I think it may still make sense to buy a perpetual licance.

I can see why MS would push people towards the subscription model

Click to expand...

Yes, I think most of us can see why MS want to.