Thursday, February 21, 2013

Office 2013 and Office 365? I’m Confused

There’s a new Office in town. But good luck trying to figure it out…or even purchase it. Wait, I mean rent it…but you can still buy it…just hope your computer never dies because Office 2013 dies with it. And what the hell is Office 365. Microsoft has everyone so confused that perhaps only the Chinese Army can explain it (see first two stories).

You can rent Office 365 (which is Office 13) for $100 a year and install it on up to 5 computers. Or you can buy Office 2013 for anywhere from $140 to $400, depending on the features, and use it on one computer only. If that computer dies, so does Office 2013. It is not licensed to you, but rather to your computer. Isn’t that the dumbest thing you ever heard of? Oh wait…Microsoft has who litany of dumb things it has done in the last year. Does Microsoft need a leadership change to put reason and logic back into the company? Ya’ think?

As for me, I am sticking with Office 2010. Since retirement, my use of Microsoft Office has drastically dwindled…with the exception of OneNote and the occasional Excel spreadsheet. And I will be damned if I will rent anything from Microsoft on a monthly basis. Of course, that is what they are driving you to do, whether you want to or not. 

If you want a great Office-type product, check out LibreOffice (see story #7). And if you are a OneNote fan like me, you can always use Evernote, for free. It works just great…in some ways, better than OneNote.

Well, there is much more to this edition than Office. Check out the cyber wars going on in our first two stories and look for some great info and tips further down. Thanks again for taking the time to read my blogs. -JRC 

China slams cyberattack accusations over lack of proof

A US report specifically pointed the finger at Chinese military Unit 61398, noting that digital forensic evidence led investigators to the building housing that unit.

The cyber war is real -- and our defenses are weak

The U.S., Israel, China, and Iran are funding acts of hacker aggression, and the targets are as good as sitting ducks

Social media disaster for Burger King: Twitter feed says chain sold to McDonald's

Burger King got a nasty social media surprise on the President's Day holiday when someone took over its Twitter account and announced the company had been sold to its rival.

Outlook.com exits preview with 60 million active users, Hotmail UI to be retired this summer

It's been so long since Microsoft launched Outlook.com that we forgot it was technically in preview mode. Well, that ended today. However, they still have not updated the Calendar yet. Hopefully soon.

Big changes in Office 2013 and Office 365 test Microsoft customers' loyalty

Microsoft's new license terms for retail editions of Office 2013 have received intense scrutiny this week. But those changes are just part of a much larger story. Look closely at Office 2013 and you see Microsoft's radical new business model in action.

Making sense of the new Microsoft Office offerings

If you're considering stepping up to the newest version, you have more choices than ever, including something called Office 365. What does it all mean?

How to affordably own your office software

If you take a close look at Microsoft's new Office licensing, it's crystal clear: Microsoft no longer wants you to own your office software. They want you to rent it. So, why not get LibreOffice for free instead?

Power through Gmail with 21 time-saving tricks

With a little know-how and some key add-ons, you can make Google's webmail service jump through hoops in ways you never thought possible.

How to Create Strong Passwords that You Can Remember the Quick and Easy Way

Check out the Web site Password Savvy. It is free and requires no registration. It is an online page where you can generate useful but hard-to-hack passwords.

How to set a TV up by eye

Sometimes you don't have access to a setup disc but want to do a rough setup using the tools in your head. This guide should help you get a TV watchable.

For Excellent Product Reviews, go to gdgt.com

Looking to buy a technology product, but want to read what other people think of it, check out GDGT.com. It combines readers and editor's reviews.

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