Office Testing
Microsoft has released the latest version of Office 2010 for BETA testing. BGFvirtual has installed the BETA Professional version of MS Office to find out if it’s worth the money. Has Microsoft mis-judged the market this time?
Find out how it compares to Zoho, Google Docs and Open Office.
Which software should you use for your business? Does a big price tag mean better software?
Articles, experiences, feedback and comments. Let’s get together on this issue and work out what is the best application for virtual assistants and other business professionals.
BGF has been BETA testing Microsoft Office 2010 Professional software package and I thought it would be a great idea to share some of the ups and downs I’ve experienced as they occur and in the future. More of that in another article though.
MS Office 2010 has definitely had it’s down moments and even at times, I’ve had moments of regret for allowing the software to insinuate itself so deeply into the computer. MS Office 2010 is about to be released for sale, so the big question to emerge is ‘Is it worth it?’ 
Virtual Assistants such as BGFvirtual and other small businesses require easy to use and reliable software. Unfortunately, the high cost of Microsoft Professional products deters many people and forces them to consider the ‘poor man’s’ system Open Office http://openoffice.org Now however, a new competitor has entered the field and is ruffling every feather on the plump body of Microsoft.
Google Docs.
Google has been collaborating with Zoho Suites and recently launched a free mini-publishing system for both personal and business use called Google Docs. It’s the equivalent of MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint, but with the added bonus of Sharepoint, Microsoft’s document sharing and management system thrown in. All this and it’s free! Business upgrades offer excellent value at only $50 per year.
You can well imagine that Google has put more than a bee up Microsoft’s empirical nose. Google has encroached on Microsoft turf and they are upset. They have been quietly working behind the scenes to steal it back though.
Microsoft charges around $400 for it’s basic package and that doesn’t include Sharepoint, which requires additional hosting fees. Of course Microsoft is upset with Google and they are fighting back. Web Apps for Facebook is about to be released. Basic software applications for the social media giant will be provided for free! Yeh! I made a double take when I read that too ….the words Microsoft and Free aren’t usually seen together, except when followed by the word ‘Trial’, but free applications are definitely Google’s turf, so this could see the launch of a long and ugly turf-war between the big boys!
To most people, price is king. Large corporations and people who believe that free stuff cannot be as good as expensive stuff will continue to hold fast to Microsoft, but if you’re looking to upgrade your old desktop publishing software, you really should consider all the competition:
I haven’t tried the Google and Zoho stuff yet, but I will and will report back to you on how it compares to the Office 2010 that I will be testing until October 2010.
