Microsoft launches beta tests of free Office 2010, 'streaming' delivery

[RSS Robot]

Microsoft has launched new betas for its free Office suite and for the "streaming" technology it will use to deliver some paid versions of Office 2010 next year.

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[ChrisC]

It's good to hear Works is being removed, at long last, but ad-supported Office? Ugh. Thankfully my Office 2007 Student Version is still valid and running fine!

[Computer Head]

It's good to hear Works is being removed, at long last, but ad-supported Office? Ugh. Thankfully my Office 2007 Student Version is still valid and running fine!

Agreed. At least maybe Microsoft Works will start getting phased out while the product lifecycle gets older on the current versions so they will start buying Microsoft Starter. That way if they bring their homework to our lab at school, we can actually open it.

[messedover]

I know someone that pirated a copy of the office 10 beta and it must have been bait, they got busted!! They were notified by their ISP to uninstall it and gave reasons why and had to agree not to pirate software or they would lose their internet service. Piraters beware, any time something new comes out that is not yet available to purchase, who do you think puts it out there?....common sense. He wants to kick himself now because of the free version. The Windows 7 was free for the beta version too(for a limited time), I think MS does that to get feedback and to work out any bugs or problems before the release of the true versions. I myself just started using the MS office '07, I had been using 2000 but my co. uses 07 a lot and the old office couldn't open the files. Everything out there is '07 or earlier, so I do not see the hype of having '10, definetly not "stealing it". I do not condone pirating at all, I don't know why I gave this warning, just a great guy I guess.

[ChrisC]

There is an extension available for Office 2003 that will open .docx, .pptx, etc files without the need to upgrade .

That said, Office 2007 is a bit of an improvement over 2003 in my experience, so the upgrade's not exactly a bad thing .

(Office '10, though...not really interested...)

[messedover]

There is an extension available for Office 2003 that will open .docx, .pptx, etc files without the need to upgrade .

That said, Office 2007 is a bit of an improvement over 2003 in my experience, so the upgrade's not exactly a bad thing .

(Office '10, though...not really interested...)

Same here, but will that extension work on 2000? Please provide the link if you have it.

[ChrisC]

Absolutely on both points. You can read more about it here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924074