Too good to be true?

CaptainWales

Hi 

I've seen this Microsfot Office on Wowcher Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019 Voucher - Wowcher which seems to be heavily discounted from normal RRP. Does this seem too good to be true? 

grumpycrab

CaptainWales said:

 Does this seem too good to be true? 

No. A viable option should you not wish to pay a yearly subscription to Microsoft for their latest office software.  Licenses can be had much cheaper (on ebay for example) but the vouchers you refer to are reliable but can be fiddly to use.

CaptainWales

Why would I need the latest office software? 

Neil_Jones

CaptainWales said:

Why would I need the latest office software? 

As software (particularly high profile software made by the likes of Microsoft and other big companies) becomes older and drops out of support security holes become exposed in it which (the theory goes) can ultimately be used to compromise the system.

Of course the bulk of these usually involve the user having to be proactive (or do something stupid) to make them possible in the first place (and may be wider issues in Windows, which is more the case when a hole affects a few versions of the same software).

Plus of course more recent versions of Office do things that older versions don't.  You're sort of committed in one regard especially to Publisher, because once you save something in the latest version of it, you can't open it in anything older.

movilogo

Latest software is not always better. Majority of people's need is still perfectly served by Office 2007, which does not even require activation.

Free LibreOffice can open most Office files without problem.

Neil_Jones

movilogo said:

Latest software is not always better. Majority of people's need is still perfectly served by Office 2007, which does not even require activation.

Office has had an activation requirement since the days of Office XP back in 2002, though it has its roots dating back to 1997.

The process changed to an extent with Office 2013 and later.

Telephone activation is apparently no longer available, but you can use the number that Windows gives you for Office.  A lot may depend on your licence and your key.  Of course there are other solutions that never required activation in the first place.

Olinda99

I use office 2007 and have done since buying it in 2007 !

shiraz99

Olinda99 said:

I use office 2007 and have done since buying it in 2007 !

Good for you, and I'm sure there's people still running Windows XP. If it works for you then great. Just because you can doesn't mean it's best to do so.

Olinda99

didn't say it was best or even close to best. It just still works  - no monthly subs etc. It is fine for what I want it for ie word documents and excel spreadsheets.

Others may have different requirements or money burning a hole in their pocket.

400ixl

So you are quite happy if someone exploits one of the hundreds of unpatched and known exploits to empty your bank account? Not even close to best describes using software that old if the device is ever connected to the internet.

Just use online Microsoft Office which is free, up to date and a lot more secure if cost is your primary driver.

DE_612183

shiraz99 said:

Olinda99 said:

I use office 2007 and have done since buying it in 2007 !

Good for you, and I'm sure there's people still running Windows XP. If it works for you then great. Just because you can doesn't mean it's best to do so.

I have a desktop in my shed that has OS2 on it!