MS Office costs

[toast1]

I've always used Office license keys that I bought 2nd hand, but now Windows have been messing around with Word, which is not working properly on all my PCs.

The Macros aren't working properly, in Office 2019, and I use them a lot.

 

I was told by MS this was because the license key was not OK.

It is expensive to buy Office with a payment every year,  is there a cheaper way to get this sorted out?

I could buy a legit 2016 Office key, that'll be 5 years old, but perhaps that's the easiest way - no annual membership fees.

 

Thank you

 

 

[ChristianBlessing]

1 hour ago, toast1 said:

I've always used Office license keys that I bought 2nd hand, but now Windows have been messing around with Word, which is not working properly on all my PCs.

The Macros aren't working properly, in Office 2019, and I use them a lot.

 

I was told by MS this was because the license key was not OK.

It is expensive to buy Office with a payment every year,  is there a cheaper way to get this sorted out?

I could buy a legit 2016 Office key, that'll be 5 years old, but perhaps that's the easiest way - no annual membership fees.

 

Thank you

 

 

If it's a product you use why would you not pay for it?

[upu2]

1 hour ago, toast1 said:

I've always used Office license keys that I bought 2nd hand, but now Windows have been messing around with Word, which is not working properly on all my PCs.

The Macros aren't working properly, in Office 2019, and I use them a lot.

 

I was told by MS this was because the license key was not OK.

It is expensive to buy Office with a payment every year,  is there a cheaper way to get this sorted out?

I could buy a legit 2016 Office key, that'll be 5 years old, but perhaps that's the easiest way - no annual membership fees.

 

Thank you

 

 

You can buy the legit keys to Office Suite for around Baht 3 to 4000 so why not just buy them?

[Pmbkk]

I bought an official one as follows:

 

Your order from Microsoftstore.org.uk

 

1 x Microsoft Office 2019 Professional Plus - Windows -£27.85

1 x email delivery£0.00

Amount to pay£27.85

 

Note: This is a lifetime version not annual

[FritsSikkink]

You never bought a proper license, time you start paying for what you use.

[CharlieH]

Flame post and a post suggesting illegal pirated software removed.

 

 

Please do not suggest nor post links to pirated software on this forum

[Adiudon]

Depending on your usage & internet connection its free to use online, as long as you have a Microsoft/Outlook account, documents created can be downloaded to your computer & older documents uploaded & edited online.

For the occasional user this the cheapest option. 

[KannikaP]

Or switch over to Libre Office.

[Burma Bill]

I bought my "legit" Office update in IT City in Khon Kaen when I lived in Thailand, I cannot remember the cost, but I got 2 copies for the price of one so I already had my update copy for the following year. 

[KannikaP]

7 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

I bought my "legit" Office update in IT City in Khon Kaen when I lived in Thailand, I cannot remember the cost, but I got 2 copies for the price of one so I already had my update copy for the following year. 

If it's a legit copy, don't you get upgrades automatically from Mr Gates.

[tgw]

I'm still using Office 2007 ... I can't think of any feature that would make an upgrade worthwhile ?

[Burma Bill]

18 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

If it's a legit copy, don't you get upgrades automatically from Mr Gates.

Yes indeed, and apologies for my error. What I referred to was renewing subscription each year with this:-

 

 

I got two packs for the price of one.

[Russell17au]

I do not use Microsoft Office since 2010, when I had a lot of problems with it. I changed over to Apache Open Office then and have not had a problem with it. It is exactly the same as Microsoft office, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and the others. You can do exactly the same formulas as excel. It is like using Microsoft Office. One of the big things is that it is a free download. Try it and if you don't like it then you can always uninstall it.

[grumbleweed]

Almost anything MS does can be done better for free. 

Been using Google Drive and various Linux OS for about 6 years

Not 1 crash or lost file

I certainly don't miss "Windows has encountered an error so screw you and kiss your current work goodbye". Nor "go and read the entire works of Shakespeare while Windows updates".

Also my hair's grown back for some strange reason

p.s

If you're not familiar with Google Drive, It has all the same features as MS Word, but much more user friendly: take auto-save for example

Current OS is Elementary OS, the best so far

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Or switch over to Libre Office.

 

Indeed. I use it and it's fine, although I do only use the Writer (Word) part of it. The only thing I might use in Microsoft Office is the ability to convert spoken words to text. Strangely, that is only available in the on-line version, not the paid-for version.

[connda]

Libre Office is free.

[GreasyFingers]

Office 365 yearly subscription 2099 baht. Still trying to figure out why I pay it and not change to Libra . Must have been some reason in the past.

[KannikaP]

27 minutes ago, grumbleweed said:

If you're not familiar with Google Drive, It has all the same features as MS Word, but much more user friendly: take auto-save for example

Google Drive is an online storage system like One Drive. MS Word is a word processor. 

I save all my documents, and pictures, music & videos, to One Drive. Word & Excel have auto save as standard.

[GreasyFingers]

7 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Google Drive is an online storage system like One Drive. MS Word is a word processor. 

I save all my documents, and pictures, music & videos, to One Drive. Word & Excel have auto save as standard.

You trust Microsoft and Google?

[samtab]

300 baht and you can activate it on as many computers as you want ❤️

 

[10years]

I have been a longtime subscriber. See part of the email the sent me below. Note that you get 100 minutes free per month with Skype. You can also use your subscription on multiple devices, so your wife, GF or kids can use it too.

 

"Thanks for subscribing to Microsoft 365 Family. We’re happy you’re here.

Office 365 is now Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 includes everything you enjoy in Office 365, like premium Office apps, and 1 TB of cloud storage, plus new subscription benefits.

You’ll be charged the next recurring payment for your subscription soon. On Monday, February 8, 2021, we’ll charge ฿2,899.00 to your Visa"

 

Note that the Visa card is a Thai-issued card.

[GreasyFingers]

4 minutes ago, 10years said:

I have been a longtime subscriber. See part of the email the sent me below. Note that you get 100 minutes free per month with Skype. You can also use your subscription on multiple devices, so your wife, GF or kids can use it too.

 

"Thanks for subscribing to Microsoft 365 Family. We’re happy you’re here.

Office 365 is now Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 includes everything you enjoy in Office 365, like premium Office apps, and 1 TB of cloud storage, plus new subscription benefits.

You’ll be charged the next recurring payment for your subscription soon. On Monday, February 8, 2021, we’ll charge ฿2,899.00 to your Visa"

 

Note that the Visa card is a Thai-issued card.

The cost has gone up then. As for Skype they have not offered me free minutes, assuming they are for paid minutes to a mobile or landline.

[KannikaP]

11 hours ago, 10years said:

I have been a longtime subscriber. See part of the email the sent me below. Note that you get 100 minutes free per month with Skype. You can also use your subscription on multiple devices, so your wife, GF or kids can use it too.

 

"Thanks for subscribing to Microsoft 365 Family. We’re happy you’re here.

Office 365 is now Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 includes everything you enjoy in Office 365, like premium Office apps, and 1 TB of cloud storage, plus new subscription benefits.

You’ll be charged the next recurring payment for your subscription soon. On Monday, February 8, 2021, we’ll charge ฿2,899.00 to your Visa"

 

Note that the Visa card is a Thai-issued card.

I got mine on an EBay offer for £50. Great. Six people get 1TB of One Drive storage plus 100 minutes per month of Skype. Yes I trust and thank Microsoft.. Whatever data they have of mine isn't worth worrying about after all this time.

[KannikaP]

11 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

The cost has gone up then. As for Skype they have not offered me free minutes, assuming they are for paid minutes to a mobile or landline.

I got 6 x 100 minutes with my £50 Office 365 subscription, plus the 1 TB storage each of 6 people. Thank you Microsoft.

Whatever data they have of mine isn't worth worrying about after all this time. 

 

11 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

 

 

[donnacha]

Google Docs, as others have mentioned, is well-designed, free, and, being in the cloud, is very handy.

The more expensive Microsoft Office subscriptions might actually be worth it if they include storage. Google is very good for that too, can completely replace DropBox.

 

[GreasyFingers]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

Whatever data they have of mine isn't worth worrying about after all this time

I agree but you do not know what will happen in the future, you might turn into a baddie.

When I die my files will die with me, and not be around for posterity.

[KannikaP]

On 2/18/2021 at 9:20 AM, GreasyFingers said:

I agree but you do not know what will happen in the future, you might turn into a baddie.

When I die my files will die with me, and not be around for posterity.

When I die, I shall not give a flying <deleted> who has my data.

[KannikaP]

On 2/18/2021 at 9:11 AM, donnacha said:

Google Docs, as others have mentioned, is well-designed, free, and, being in the cloud, is very handy.

The more expensive Microsoft Office subscriptions might actually be worth it if they include storage. Google is very good for that too, can completely replace DropBox.

 

As said previously, Office 365 icludes 1TB of One Drive storage PER PERSON if you get the family subscription @ £50 - 80 per year.

What is 'handy' about Google Docs being Cloud based? If internet goes off, you're <deleted>. I would rather have my apps installed on my disks.

[donnacha]

14 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

As said previously, Office 365 icludes 1TB of One Drive storage PER PERSON if you get the family subscription @ £50 per year.

I don't focus on the specifics of UK packages here as some members of this forum live in Thailand where the pricing can be far lower, but sometimes includes different amounts of storage or whatever.

My point is that the determination of some people to avoid subscriptions and only buy one-time licences makes less sense when you realize that the subscriptions are often worth it for the storage alone (relative to DropBox etc). You might think you are saving money by avoiding a suite subscription, but you might end up spending more overall.

I pay the US rate of $12 per month for Google Suite because it comes with unlimited storage. For a few years I was using over 50 TB, which would have cost around $250 per month on either iCloud or DropBox. I currently use only 1.3 TB but still consider it well worthwhile because of the other bits and pieces you get.

However, if I just wanted a Word replacement, the free version of Google Docs would be perfect.

 

[mtls2005]

On 2/16/2021 at 9:51 PM, toast1 said:

I was told by MS this was because the license key was not OK.

 

Can you elaborate? What was "not OK"?

 

Did your macros work acceptably before? Then at some point you experienced a problem? Do they work on some PCs?