Alternative For Microsoft Word Free Online Storage
Alternative For Microsoft Word Mac And Windows

If you lose the activation code, you cant get a new one without giving Microsoft proof of purchase.

As a writer, I have a very large number of Word files, but with Microsoft moving to an annual subscription model, the cost of remaining with Word is looking prohibitive.

Alternative For Microsoft Word Mac And Windows

Is there is a cheaper way of carrying on with Word, or, failing that, an alternative word processor with which Ill still be able to open and edit my existing Word documents Ed Microsoft would prefer both Mac and Windows users of Office to move to the online version, Office 365, but its still entirely up to you.

In fact, you can already use some Microsoft Office programs online, including Word, without paying Microsoft a penny.

Alternative For Microsoft Word Free Online Storage

All you have to do is create a Microsoft Account using any working email address it doesnt have to be a Microsoft email address and you can use online versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint with free online storage in OneDrive.

The main difference is that Microsofts programs are better, except for multiuser simultaneous editing.

Microsofts free suite also includes OneNote, Skype, Calendar, People, Tasks, Photos, Sway, Flow and Forms.

I expect this list will continue to grow in the future.

So, if you want to use Word, you have three choices: the online version (free), the desktop program (one-off payment), and Office 365 (annual subscription).

Office 365 includes online, desktop, tablet and smartphone versions for both PCs and Macs, Android and Apples iOS.

Why use Word Word is powerful and flexible, but you pay for that utility.

The best is that you like using it, because of its power, rich feature list, ease of use or whatever.

The second reason is that you need it to read old files, which is one of your problems.

This depends on the complexity of your files.

If your documents include multiple columns, embedded images, custom fonts, footnotes and similar features, you can more or less forget about using anything else.

But if your documents are simple text files, then a lot of programs will load them.

Being text based, its hopeless for storing images, but its perfect for texts with simple formatting.

But I found I still needed Word to compare files, and to cope with the publishing industrys use of styles, comments and track changes.

This applies in spades to files that use VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) and macros, and to Excel spreadsheets where errors can have career-ending financial consequences.

This isnt going to change in a hurry because Microsoft Office is also a platform with hundreds of add-ons and plug-ins, its supported by thousands of books, video tutorials, websites and consultants, and its what most office workers already know how to use.

And when time is money, the cost of sorting out incompatibilities and usability issues is far higher than the cost of Office.

If youre paying staff, say, 20,000 to 60,000 a year, and cant afford 100 a year for Office 365 less for a boxed version then you have bigger problems.

Decide where you are on the spectrum from I like it to cant live without it.

If you are not a business, you can certainly live without it or use the free online version.

But even if you switch to a free alternative, youll spend time learning a new interface and handling your old documents.

Boxed Office The traditional advantages of buying boxed copies of Office were that you could use it on two PCs (a desktop and a laptop, but not at the same time) and that you could transfer it to a new PC.

Boxed copies have more or less disappeared, but if you own one, you need to keep the code marked on the box to reinstall it.

Mac Alternative For Microsoft Word