Microsoft Office 2010 Starter to Display Ads
In 2010 Microsoft will ship new machines with Office 2010 Starter, a basic, stripped-down version of Office 2010 designed to provide minimal functionality right out of the box.
Of course, the idea is that people will use the Starter version for a little while but inevitably upgrade to the full version of Office 2010. Now, as if reduced functionality weren't enough of an incentive to upgrade, Microsoft has said in its blog that the Starter edition will be ad-supported.
It all starts off fairly innocently with a blog post detailing new ways to try and buy Office 2010. Microsoft talks about the number of users, growth and all that business before moving on to "big improvements in the way we’ll deliver the next version of Office to consumers."
As part of Office 2010 software that will be pre-loaded by the PC manufacturers on their PCs, we’re introducing Microsoft Office Starter 2010. Office Starter 2010 is a reduced-functionality, advertising-supported version of Office 2010, available exclusively on new PCs. Office Starter 2010 will provide new PC owners with immediate exposure to the Office 2010 experience on new PCs right out of the box.
Office Starter 2010 will include Office Word Starter 2010 and Office Excel Starter 2010, with the basic functionality for creating, viewing and editing documents. Office Starter 2010 will replace Microsoft Works, offering a consistent Office user experience, such as the Ribbon, with a simple path to upgrade to a fully-featured version of Office 2010 directly from within the product.
Hands up who's totally stoked about ads inside Office? That's what I thought.
Check the full blog post here.
And Open Office...may be on the extinction list.
People don't realize that annoying ads can be stopped by simply not clicking them. If no one clicked those stupid ads, they wouldn't make any money and they'd stop using them.
I understand advertising is currently the economic model employed by the internet, and some ads are beneficial. A Google Ad on a search can lead you to the product you wanted instead of someone's blog about the product. However, when its just a company trying to pad its budget for a product it admits isn't worth the asking price, just say no.
That said, lets see how many inline ads Kontera inserts into my little post here. PC iPod Widows Browser iPhone email IM blah blah blah.
I feel the same way. I dont give a crap if software is ad supported as long as I dont have to pay anything for it.
I've been using 2010 for a few months, I like it better the 07. It responds better and the navigation is even more simpler, they have updated it with a new ribbon and a lot of new features.
It goes something like this:
"Welcome to Ubuntu, would you like to use the entire drive?"
I will click on yes, permanent fix is done.
MS Office will become just one more piece of AdWare and worse....
It may even provide a new venue for Malware Purveyors to infect systems on which the Starter Edition is installed.
You have certain demands for your free software? I'd hate to meet you at the soup kitchen.
For those of you that hate the idea of free ad supported software but want demand a free word processor and spreadsheet, download Open Office.
Lol just little pissed of at people doing half the work. Then leave costumer with crappy frustrating software (and they say they did a good job)Just recalling the 60 day office 2007 trial.... witch once disable, costumers complains because they can't do anything with their work.
Just like minister of Health in canada, letting the health system in decay..... costing more and more tax payers money.....
Just think about that.
Microsoft is lame. Even MSN Messenger displays adds, and there is no way to shut them down!