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The Wall Street Journal is citing unnamed sources who claim to be familiar with Microsoft’s situation who say that the software giant has been offering price cuts on its key software. According to the sources, Microsoft has been offering manufacturers price breaks on Windows 8 and Office software. These price cuts are said to be an effort on Microsoft’s part to help improve the number of small touch enabled laptop computers being developed.

The sources claim that the discounts Microsoft is offering are particularly focused on portable devices with small screens that would be expected to appear this fall. Price cuts on Windows 8 and Office software are particularly important because they help manufacturers lower the selling price of their devices making consumers more likely to purchase. So far, sales of Windows 8 devices have failed to impress.

Microsoft continues to maintain that Windows 8 would be more popular if there were more devices focused on the touch aspects of the operating system. Some analysts agree having said that sales are slow because of the lack of devices equipped with touch displays available for consumers to choose from. Microsoft hasn’t confirmed or denied that it is offering discounts.

Microsoft isn’t known for offering discounts on its operating system or other software so this move could indicate that Microsoft is finally willing to deal in an effort to improve the popularity of Windows 8. Considering that the software giant makes a huge amount of its profits from the Windows operating system, you can bet the company will do anything and everything to improve sales even if that means cutting into its profit. The Wall Street Journal reports that in February Microsoft was offering computer makers a deal with Windows 8 and Office for only $30 for touchscreen devices under 10.8 inches. That software package had previously cost $120.

[via Wall Street Journal]

Microsoft tipped to cut the price of Windows 8 and Office for small touch enabled devices is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Years and years of personal computer use has conditioned humanity to feel a sense a dread, of worry, and stress, whenever they see a warning message. So if you need to leave someone a note that they absolutely can’t ignore, what better way than with a pack of fake Windows error message sticky notes? More »

Microsoft has released a new update for its subscription-based Office program, Office 365, that provides new options geared for business users. There is the new Office 365 Small Business Premium that’s geared towards businesses with about 1 to 10 employees, Office 365 Midsize Business, which is geared towards businesses with 10 to 250 employees, and Office 365 ProPlus, which is included in both the Small Business Premium and Midsize Business package, but is geared towards users who want Office on the go.

Office 365 Small Business Premium offers the user 5 ProPlus licenses that they can use to install Office on their PC or Mac. It also gives you access to the web-based versions of Office products. It includes business-grade email, shared calendars, website tools and HD video-conferencing capabilities. Office 365 Small Business Premium costs $150 per user, per year, which equals roughly $12.50 per user, per month. It’s user-friendly, so you will not need your IT department to help you set everything up.

Office 365 Midsize Business offers the same benefits of Small Business Premium, however it also offers enterprise-quality communication services and collaborates with Exchange Online, Lync Online, and Sharepoint Online. It is user-friendly, and it includes Active Directory integration alongside a web-based administartion console and “business-hours” phone support. It makes managing your huge office a much easier task. The cost is $180 per user, per year, which is about $15 per user, per month.

Office 365 ProPlus, offers 5 licenses to install the Office software on PCs or Macs, and it also allows you to access the Microsoft Office 2013 via the web. You can access your Office 365 from any device, with all of your documents and settings stored in the cloud. It, however, lacks the business-specific capabilities the other packages offer. It’s user-friendly, giving you the tools necessary to update your apps and control various features. Office 365 ProPlus is offered at $144 per user and is meant for businesses who don’t find the other two packages appealing.

Alongside these three new offerings, Microsoft is also keeping its original business offerings for businesses that don’t need the whole package. So for businesses that are satisfied by just using the Office web-based apps, or businesses that only need access to enterprise-grade email, those cheaper options will still be available for you. Businesses can also test-run the new Office 365 business offerings without paying a cent. They can get a feel for the products before they commit to it.

[via Microsoft]

Microsoft releases new Office 365 packages for businesses is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

On Saturday, we reported on the Office 2013 license, and its altered EULA over Office 2010. Many users have questioned whether Office 2013 can be reinstalled on a new computer when the user upgrades, or if the license is not transferable. Earlier today, Microsoft officially responded to these questions, assembling a chart and addressing the most common concerns regarding the issue.

As you can see in the graph above, Office 2013 features the same rights as the Product Key Card (PKC) version of Office 2010, but not the Full Package Product (FPP). Office 2013 suites are not transferable, and can only be installed a single time, meaning those who upgrade their computer or otherwise gravitate to a new machine will need to buy a new license. This applies to the Home and Student, Home and Business, and Professional versions.

In comparison, the FPP version of Office 2010 is transferable across all versions, with each allowing at least 2 installations. Home and Student allows three installations, while Home and Business and Professional allow for two each. Microsoft stresses that Office 2013′s transferability is consistent with the PKC Office 2010, which is says most consumers chose over the FPP.

Meanwhile, Office 365 Home Premium is transferable and allows for five installations, while University is also transferable and allows for two installations. This makes the subscription version of Office the only option for those looking to use the suite across multiple devices, whereas Office 2013 can only be licensed to a single computer and cannot be transferred regardless of which version you have. Says Microsoft, if Office 2013 is licensed to a computer that fails under warranty, it can be replaced by contacting the company.

[via Office]

Microsoft responds to questions over Office 2013 transferability is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft recently increased the price of its Office Product for the Mac OS. Office for Mac Home and Students now costs $140, which is about a 17% increase from its original $120 price. Office for Mac Home and Business now costs $220, which is a 10% hike from its original $200 price-tag. Microsoft didn’t release a statement about why it increased the prices, but at the same time not a lot of people noticed.

The increase in prices brings the Office for Mac OS software up to the same price-point as Office 2013 for Windows. Also with the price increase for Office for the Mac OS, it looks like Microsoft has also gotten rid of its multi-license products, which is probably a move that’s meant to drive consumers towards Microsoft’s Office 365 subscription service. For $99 a year, or for $9.99 a month, you can subscribe to Office 365 for families, and install Office on up to 5 devices. With the subscription, the user will be given the installation software for Office for Mac Home and Business. For Windows users, you get the installation files for Office 2013.

According to Computer World, the price change for the Mac OS software was most likely increased around January 29th, the same day Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 365 was launched. For Mac owners, if you still want to purchase Microsoft Office for the older price-point, many retailers, like Apple itself, are still selling Office for Mac 2011 at its original price.

Microsoft hiking up the prices of its Mac software, and also its elimination of multi-license software does bring the spotlight to open source projects, like Open Office or Libre Office, who offer programs with the same functions for free. So unless you specifically need the Microsoft Office software for your job or business, there are plenty of alternative, free software that can meet your needs.

[via Computer World]

Microsoft secretly increases the price of Mac Office is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.