Until now we knew that Microsoft Office 2024 was on the way as a successor version to the 2021 edition, but the community was concerned about whether this new launch would only occur in the cloud. However, it has just been confirmed that this will not be the case: the program will also be available without a subscription.
For now, although it has become very clear that Microsoft, like many other manufacturers, is pressuring users to integrate into their subscriptions, with Office they are not going to convert it into something definitive. Knowing this takes a weight off of all of us who continue using this tool instead of switching to well-known alternatives such as OpenOffice or LibreOffice.
The problem is that subscriptions have many advantages, but also a series of drawbacks. The one-time payment for a license is more convenient for many because they forget about investing in the product again. Paying month by month and being open to possible price increases is something that one should think about very carefully.
The definitive jump to the cloud is delayed
Although many people have switched to the current version of Office available under subscription, there are many users who remain faithful to the independent edition. The problem is that in recent times, Microsoft has been implementing features that are only available to those who pay the monthly fee. Therefore, we were afraid that, for Office 2024, the standalone version option, which requires the purchase of a license, would no longer be available.
In addition, there are some Office online functions that are also not available with the edition external to Microsoft 365. What the company does guarantee for all users is that Office receives all the security updates it needs to avoid problems. Bugs, of course, are also eliminated, since Microsoft guarantees that no one does not enjoy a good experience.
What will Office 2024 be like?
For now, in-depth information about what awaits us in the next big version of Office has not yet been revealed, but the community is impatient to know what it will include. We know that there will be an independent version and that it will not be a program available only by subscription because there are a series of Office 2024 images that are already circulating on the Internet as you can see in the message from X that we share with you below.
In the screenshot you can read that the Preview version of Microsoft Office 2024 is being used, which does not require a subscription, but does require a product key and its corresponding activation. The only thing that leaves a window open for despair is seeing that the photo indicates that it is the LTSC version, so, in this specific case, it would not be available to all users. But it is believed that, if this edition of Office 2024 exists, there will also be the version that the majority of computer users with the Windows system can use.
Regarding the features that Office 2024 should have, if there are two versions as is currently the case, it is most likely that the Microsoft 365 edition will once again be available of exclusive functions. For Microsoft, it is still very important that as many users as possible switch to the subscription service, even though, on paper, it does not seem very viable. After all, for those who use the program at home or even at work on a smaller, non-corporate level, paying a subscription, whether monthly or yearly, is not a very attractive idea. In contrast to this, Office licenses that only have to be paid once are more affordable for the long term.
Although it will arrive in 2024, we will still have to wait a few months, possibly, for us to know in depth the next edition of Office. Microsoft knows that it has a new program on its hands that millions of people will use and that it has to fine-tune its launch and features carefully so that it does not disappoint. For now, in view of this double edition available, it does not seem that they are doing things wrong. We remain hopeful to see what the future holds for Office users.