Does it make sense for me to buy Office 2010 today?

jimbo45 · 25 Aug 2014

Hi there

Kingsoft office - now WPS office is by far the nearest compatible program to Ms Office MUCH BETTER THAN LIBRE OFFICE --and if you don't use VBA macros in EXCEL it's entirely FREE -- there's a PRO version with VBA included --haven't tried that yet as the LINUX version is Free with macro capability (but "Alpha - i.e pre Beta" software and you don't really want to use Alpha software in a "Production" or daily use environment).

The only problem with WPS office is that there's no email client but as a clone for Student and Teacher edition - you can't go wrong. Works fine on Windows - I might even try the PRO Windows version - it's cheap enough and there's no activation hassles. For typical "Non Power" users the Freebie is just fine.

Free Office 2013 Download, Free Office Software - Kingsoft Office

Home - Kingsoft WPS Office Community

I'm trying the Linux version with VBA -- seems to do reasonably well -- easily the best compatible EXCEL I've found.

Here's a stock chart I made with WPS Spreadsheets with correlations -- handles the calculations just fine --if your EXCEL is less complex you won't have any trouble. Forget Libre Office.

This spreadsheet opened just fine in EXCEL afterwards too. !!!!

Cheers
Jimbo

TVeblen · 25 Aug 2014

Hey folks, thanks for all the great info. It really helps!

WHS: it looks like the price on Amazon has gone down. It's now $260. But I did select the Price Notification for the product on Newegg. It looks like they are the more reputable seller after Amazon.

Lady F: Good point. Look at that:

Does it make sense for me to buy Office 2010 today?-capture.jpg

"A Software Seller" sounds like a reputable firm!

And 5 people say they are good!

How can 5 people be wrong?

fireberd & jimbo: I really need to try some alternative (free) solutions. Thanks for the tips. I'm already looking for Project alternatives, since my copy of Project 2007 is keyed to this one PC and all the others are running Project 98!
But for now it's a "the devil I know" situation, as I am not the only person that has to make the transition. My plan is to migrate in a parallel fashion - try a new replacement alongside Word and Excel until I am comfortable enough with it until I can teach others.
I have some very old spreadsheets (I started with Excel 1.0 - still have the box!) so backward compatibility is pretty important.
So keep those recommendations coming! Always good to have a future plan.

Layback: yes, I am kicking and screaming into the software future. Thing is, I work in locations where there is no internet access. So having web based programs is freakin' insane in my case. Unless I want to pay the phone company for the privilege of using my software!

ignatzsonic: That is a good price (by today's standards). Thanks! (Now watch me procrastinate until it is gone!

) Also thanks for confirmation on my research. It looks like 2010 is the last "real" software offered.

WHS: yeah, it looks like that is the online version, which is why you need a MS account - in order to access your OneDrive. It would be GREAT if I were wrong about that!

Again, thanks for all the feedback on this stuff. It helps simply because all of this is SO STUPID from a software seller's standpoint. Makes it hard to believe it is true.

TVeblen · 25 Aug 2014

OK Folks, how do I tell if this deal is legit?
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 for 3 PC - (Download Delivery) - SoftwareAu

I have no problem with a download rather than a DVD, but how does a three license deal work with a download? Do you need 3 keys? Or will one key work 3 times?

If I contacted the seller, what questions could I ask?

ignatzatsonic · 25 Aug 2014

My 3 PC DVD version has a single key.

I've never heard of that SKU with the D3 suffix.

Strangely---if you google that SKU, you get only two hits: the one you found and this one:

Cheap Software Broker

https://www.google.com/search?num=10...12.iU8ZqTJ5G6M

Cheapsoftwarebroker is not even listed at resellerratings.com. Nor is softwareau.

I could not find a street address for softwareau on their website. They may be on Mars or in Melbourne. I noticed some UK type spelling... "licence". Or is that a mis-spelling.

Cheapsoftwarebroker is equally shaky--an annoying chat window covering most of the screen, no address, etc.

Both websites reek of about 1998.

I'd be spooked.

fireberd · 25 Aug 2014

I had Kingsoft, although I never used it. I updated it to the "WPS" and it "took over". When I started Outlook I got a message that it couldn't find MS Office. I tried manually to change it but couldn't. I had to uninstall WPS.

I hate software that "takes over" and does what it wants.

Lady Fitzgerald · 25 Aug 2014

TVeblen said:

OK Folks, how do I tell if this deal is legit?
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 for 3 PC - (Download Delivery) - SoftwareAu

I have no problem with a download rather than a DVD, but how does a three license deal work with a download? Do you need 3 keys? Or will one key work 3 times?

If I contacted the seller, what questions could I ask?

I did a quick search on them and, frankly, I wouldn't trust them any further than I could spit upwind in a stiff breeze. Check these links:

Complaints

softwareau.com | Website Review for softwareau.com | WooRank.com

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...283bd9e?page=1

And most damning: Consumer Complaints for softwareau - Serving the Silicon Valley BBB

TVeblen · 25 Aug 2014

Duly noted!

No way to check the validity of a product code huh? Well, you know what they say about "too good to be true"!

Although I did see this from one of Lady F's links:
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...283bd9e?page=2

And yes fireberd, nothing sets me off faster that software that will not behave!

whs · 26 Aug 2014

Whether that site is any good is hard to tell. But $149 is the original price - I paid that a couple of years ago.

Regarding the download only - that should not be a problem. You just burn the .iso to DVD. And no, you do not need 3 keys. The one key will work for installation on 3 systems.

RoasterMen · 26 Aug 2014

I'm still using my Microsoft Home & Student 2007 up to now. I seriously don't like buying newer versions when it's released I sometimes wait 1.5-2 years before I buy the product.

TVeblen · 26 Aug 2014

whs said:

Whether that site is any good is hard to tell. But $149 is the original price - I paid that a couple of years ago.

Regarding the download only - that should not be a problem. You just burn the .iso to DVD. And no, you do not need 3 keys. The one key will work for installation on 3 systems.

Thanks. I might give that a shot. At that price a scam will sting but won't wound.
How would you tell if you had a counterfeit copy or key? It wouldn't activate?