On October 13th Microsoft is ending support for Office 2010. This does not mean that the Office 2010 suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and others) will stop working the next day, but it does mean that updates that fix bugs and close security holes will end, resulting in increased risk with continued usage.
You could chose to continue using the Office 2010 suite at your own peril, or switch to one of these options:
Office on the web: this free option from Microsoft only requires a Microsoft account, but these web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are limited, scaled down versions that require you to be on line at all times.
LibreOffice: this option is also free and may be used in commercial environments. I blogged about it last September, so you can read about it here: https://steve.gimnicher.com/technology-blog/libreoffice I’m a big fan because it is completely free and unrestricted, offers a lot of functionality, and it supports the Microsoft Office file formats.
Office 2019: this is likely the last Office version that can be purchased for a one-time license, but you will be locked into whatever functionality it comes with (i.e., Microsoft will not be adding new functions via updates). Also, you must have internet access to use this suite. Office 2019 comes in three different versions, ranging from about $150 to $440 from Microsoft.
Microsoft/Office 365: this option is where Microsoft would like you to go and offers continuous updates and support as long as you are paying the monthly or yearly subscription prices. There are different packages for Home and Business, so be sure you purchase the right option that meets your needs.
You could chose to continue using the Office 2010 suite at your own peril, or switch to one of these options:
Office on the web: this free option from Microsoft only requires a Microsoft account, but these web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are limited, scaled down versions that require you to be on line at all times.
LibreOffice: this option is also free and may be used in commercial environments. I blogged about it last September, so you can read about it here: https://steve.gimnicher.com/technology-blog/libreoffice I’m a big fan because it is completely free and unrestricted, offers a lot of functionality, and it supports the Microsoft Office file formats.
Office 2019: this is likely the last Office version that can be purchased for a one-time license, but you will be locked into whatever functionality it comes with (i.e., Microsoft will not be adding new functions via updates). Also, you must have internet access to use this suite. Office 2019 comes in three different versions, ranging from about $150 to $440 from Microsoft.
Microsoft/Office 365: this option is where Microsoft would like you to go and offers continuous updates and support as long as you are paying the monthly or yearly subscription prices. There are different packages for Home and Business, so be sure you purchase the right option that meets your needs.
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