Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Microsoft to Offer a Free Version of Office

Microsoft is going to offer a free version of Office. While this is described below as a 'salvo' from Microsoft against Google, I think it is better seen as a defensive maneuver. One of Google's biggest advantages is that almost everything it offers is free. The products Microsoft makes thus have to be sufficiently better as to justify paying. When it comes to modern word processing programs, there is only so much 'better' possible. The amount of better is decreasing. Microsoft's free version of office is meant as a counter to the free word processor Google Offers.

The battle between the two sides does appear to be increasing. As usually happens with competition, it is the consumers/users (you and me) who will really benefit.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/07/microsoft-takes-on-google-with-free-office-programs

"Microsoft will release a free version of its dominant Office software that users can access over the Web, catching up with products that arch rival Google Inc launched three years ago.

The world’s largest software maker will offer a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software and a note-taking program with the same look and feel of their counterparts in the Office suites that it sells for personal computers.

It is the latest salvo in an intensifying war between the two technology giants.
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