According to Woody's Office Watch MS has changed the licence terms for MS Office. I quote from that Newsletter's excerpt of the new licence terms:
'The direct evidence is there in the Software Licence Agreement (the SLA is the newer name of the EULA). We have a copy of the Office 2013 Software License Agreement here with the relevant passages highlighted:
Quote: ----
" How can I use the software?
We do not sell our software or your copy of it – we only license it. Under our license we grant you the right to install and run that one copy on one computer (the licensed computer) for use by one person at a time, but only if you comply with all the terms of this agreement. Our software license is permanently assigned to the licensed computer. "
or
"Can I transfer the software to another computer or user?
You may not transfer the software to another computer or user. "
It’s the same wording for both Retail and OEM copies of Office 2013. OEM copies are sold, usually pre-installed, on new computers.'
-------End of extract from Woody's Office watch.
I certainly don't want to buy MS office under those terms!
Lance
One more reason to appreciate Softmaker!
Re: One more reason to appreciate Softmaker!
I suspect it's because Microsoft don't seem to want to offer a traditional model Office Suite anymore. They appear to be pushing "Office 365" - a subscription based model that you pay for every month/year (failure to pay stops the software from working, apparently).
It's their way of guaranteeing income every month/year without actually having to do anything to improve the software. Once they've hooked you, you can't stop paying without losing the ability to use the software.
Given that I still use software that I bought 15 years ago, I don't see the subscription-based model appealing to me. Fifteen years of Office 365 would cost 15x12x£3.90 = £702 (and that's for the cheap version - the Premium version would cost £1,818 over the same period).
The only people who are going to switch to Office 365 are those businesses that traditional upgraded every year anyway. They might make a saving. For the rest of us, who upgrade when the new version is cheap enough, we're better off sticking to Softmaker.
It's their way of guaranteeing income every month/year without actually having to do anything to improve the software. Once they've hooked you, you can't stop paying without losing the ability to use the software.
Given that I still use software that I bought 15 years ago, I don't see the subscription-based model appealing to me. Fifteen years of Office 365 would cost 15x12x£3.90 = £702 (and that's for the cheap version - the Premium version would cost £1,818 over the same period).
The only people who are going to switch to Office 365 are those businesses that traditional upgraded every year anyway. They might make a saving. For the rest of us, who upgrade when the new version is cheap enough, we're better off sticking to Softmaker.