A naukri.com initiative
Digitaltrends
1M
180
Image Credit: Digitaltrends
I tried the free version of Microsoft Office. All I got was ads and anxiety
- Microsoft is testing a new ad-supported version of its Office apps that are free to use, but with ads and limited features available.
- The free desktop versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are only available to select accounts not tied to paid Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
- Users will see persistent ads in a side panel and occasional interruptions for 15-second ads.
- Privacy concerns regarding user information and document contents used for targeted advertising are addressed by Microsoft.
- The ad-supported Office apps have limited features and are tied to OneDrive cloud storage, making offline saving impossible.
- Even basic editing features like line spacing, translation, and border controls are disabled in these free versions.
- Essential tools like data analysis in Excel and illustration tools in PowerPoint are also unavailable in the ad-supported versions.
- Google's alternatives like Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as well as open-source options like Libre Office, offer more functionality compared to Microsoft's ad-supported Office apps.
- Microsoft's aggressive approach with limited features and persistent ads may deter users looking for a productive software experience.
- The ad-supported Office apps are currently in a testing phase and are not widely available, catering more towards enterprises rather than individual users.
Read Full Article
10 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app