My latest computer came with Windows 8 installed. It also came with 90 free trials of a bunch of other software such as anti-virus stuff and the latest version of Microsoft office. Windows 8 has its own antivirus built in to the operating system. I saw no need to pay for a secondary piece of software that duplicated the job. When it came to Office, that was another story. I own an alder copy of Microsoft office and the debate for me was whether it was worth upgrading. I decided to install my old version of Office 2000 - yup it is that old. Outlook does not function, nor does the database software. Given that I haven't used either of these applications in the last decade, I really don't care that they are not supported. For me, the question that comes up is whether I will need a new copy of my software if someone sends me documents created by a newer version. I haven't encountered a problem ... yet. Is it time for me to bite the bullet and upgrade my software collection?
No I do not believe those programs are worth updating. Especially if you do not use them much. What would be the point? I think you should only upgrade those programs if you use the frequently, and they have a new feature that you want. other then that i would not upgrade. Most of the time those upgrades are the exact same program with a different visual design. I never use paid programs any way. There is always a free alternative to every software.
Instead of upgrading I'd recommend using a free alternative that gets the job done. There are lots of free portable open source software which you download, install on your removable storage devices and discard once you're done reading the documents. Why pay for something when you can get something that's almost as good free?
Just upgrade. Am sure that outlook is not functioning because you downgraded the software and there are a couple of files that are missing. The files are relevant in helping the software in running. Just upgrade to enjoy the services.
That would defeat the purpose of the thread. The OP is saying that his free trial ran out, and he doesn't want to pay to keep the using it. The best thing for him to do is go to sourceforge.net, and look for a free an alternative. All of the programs there are free so you don't have to worry about paying anything. There are dozens of free word processor programs there. I have a few on my Laptop, and they work just fine.
No, OP, you do not need to "buy" new software . Seriously speaking though there is always a free alternative to most stuff that would have you pay money for it. Word processors, virus protection, image editing, I could go on all day.
Well, its really depends on the program, some programs require you to upgrade. But in your case, which is MS Office, just ask your office mates or whoever it is that's sending you document files to save them in a legacy format so you can open them in older versions of MS Office. And besides, there are tons of free software alternatives out there, just spare some time searching the web.
It's not "necessary" to upgrade these programs, but I don't see why you'd go through the hassle of finding free alternatives. Especially with Anti-Virus software, you want the latest protection to deal with the ever changing landscape of the internet. Maybe because I write a lot and spend a lot of time on the internet that I feel the need to stay updated on the latest software downloads. But if it's not something you use all that often, then I suppose it's not worth it.
You don't necessarily need all those programs that come bundled with your computer. The only reason they are there is because the computer manufacturers get a kickback for including them on the systems. With regards to Office specifically, Office 2013 is night and day different from Office 2000. There have been so many updates and security upgrades since then, it would be a waste of time even installing the old version. Honestly, if you are unwilling to buy the new Office, I would instead just put OpenOffice on your system instead. It's a freeware alternative to Office. However, Microsoft does have a program going right now where you can get Office 2013 for only $10 under certain circumstances. If your employer has volume licenses for Office 2013, then it is likely you will be eligible to purchase a personal copy for $10. They just need to provide you with a special code for this that you will use at checkout. Even better, if you have kids in school, and their teacher uses Office, they can get a copy for free.
You should consider kingsoft. It is a pretty easy to use device that has the very same feature yould get in microsoft office and the major difference is that it is free. I have not really bothered with getting office ever since i laid my hands on kingsoft. All you have to do is download and install for free from their website.
If someone is using the most recent version of Office and they send you a document, you should be able to view it fine. If they are also using slightly different older versions, you may run into some formatting issues along the way. You will still be able to open it and read it, but there could be some slight formatting differences.
