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[macOS] Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac Preview - Free until 17 Jan 2022 @ Microsoft

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For when Office 365 is not your cup of tea but Office 2019 might be too outdated to purchase outright.

Download links and instructions in the deal link.

Office 2021 for Mac (Preview) uses a special activation key that expires on January 17, 2022.

After that date, Office 2021 for Mac (Preview) will go into reduced functionality mode, which means you’ll only be able to read and print documents in the Office apps. You won’t be able to create new documents or edit existing documents using Office 2021 for Mac (Preview). In Outlook, you’ll be able to read existing items that have been synchronized to your mailbox, but Outlook won’t be able to connect to your email server and synchronize more items.

Office 2021 for Mac (Preview) can't be installed side-by-side on the same device with Office 2019 for Mac. If Office 2019 for Mac is already installed, it will be replaced with Office 2021 for Mac (Preview).

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    • +11

      You’d have rocks in your head to want to use Office for Mac on Windows. The Mac version falls substantially short of the PC version - particularly Outlook.

      • +15

        Outlook on Mac has a new version which substantially improves it. There’s a toggle switch allowing you to switch between the old and new version at any time.

        I use Outlook for Mac all time every day, and it’s absolutely fine. As far as I can tell it’s on par with its Windows-based cousin.

        • +5

          Try creating new calendar appointments in Outlook for Mac new version and look at how you edit them as just one example. It’s unbelievably poorly designed. Outlook for Mac also can’t edit Word attachments while composing an email like Windows can. It’s necessary to save out, open and then reattach on Mac. Outlook for Mac can’t move calendar entries between data files either.

          Sorry but old and new Mac Office falls significantly short for power users of Office. I’m tolerating Mac for Office at the moment because I otherwise like it but it is functionally short.

        • Yeah agree with this

      • +4

        Use the Mac version of Outlook at home and the PC version at work. Much prefer the Mac version. It has a cleaner look that the PC version and as far as I can see it has most of the same features (just located in different places).

      • +1

        As for the other apps in the suite … I find MS Word pretty much on par. Excel for Mac does not have all the advanced features of the windows version. PowerPoint is largely the same but there are a few small things missing.

      • Outlook Mac is far superior than the Windows version.
        However, every other office app sucks on Mac

        • +2

          Outlook Mac is far superior than the Windows version.

          Now you’re trolling…

      • +1

        It’s come a long way since the original reboot back in 2017-ish, when they removed a lot of unstable features so they could iteratively optimise and reintroduce them. It’s largely on par with Windows now. In many ways, the Windows version seems legacy in comparison.

        Excel is still missing some odd features here and there, but it’s catching up.

        I wouldn’t be surprised if this deal is to get people to road test features and position themselves for a potential introduction of macOS into the iPad.

      • I use the latest Office on a 2013 MacBook Air and it’s fine.

        Although I do avoid Outlook like the plague. On Mac and PC.

      • You think that’s bad, try excel for Mac…

      • I'm a Word power user. Word for Mac is horribly limited and buggy. I regret buying a Mac because window management is so bad, and Word for Mac is so bad that I will have to sell the Mac. Even something basic like the navigation pane is limited.

    • No it’s for MacOS different platform than Windows.

    • +2

      Matt.97, what you are looking for is Microsoft Office for Mac for Windows.

  • +10

    Does this work on a smart fridge? Looking to use a macro to automate the ice dispenser..

    • I also would like Clippy to make weird faces when I am low on milk.

  • +2

    Free @ Microsoft

    Change the title to: Free for < 1 year @ Microsoft

    • 1 year trial would be better

      • 1 year trial of an unfinished experimental and potentially very buggy product. Preview version is an even earlier release than a beta release.

        In other words use this version as your own risk. Can be even buggier than a beta version.

        It says there right on the documentation page for it that it's not intended for home users.

  • +1

    Outlook Web version is superior to any fat client these days. In my eyes anyway. Sweep is the killer feature.

    • Agreed - it’s getting better than the desktop client, and can fulfil the needs of 90% of the work people do these days.

      • +2

        Microsoft is internally trialing a web based native Outlook client called Monarch. I suspect there’s far more development time being spent on web based stuff.

        • Yep, SaaS is the future

  • may i confirm, this will function like regular Office until Jan 2022?

    • +1

      Yes.

      • cool!

  • +1

    I'm not a regular Mac user, but I'm looking forward to buying the new mac pro. I hope they release it before July. My question is it for native mac or still running on Rosetta?

    • +1

      Native. From the link:

      "Chipset support
      Office 2021 for Mac (Preview) provides native support for both Apple Silicon and Intel-based Macs. For more information, see Microsoft 365 and Office 2019 support for Apple Silicon."

  • +2

    I want clippy back!! Is it too much to ask from Microsoft?

    • +1

      If they did productivity around the world would drop 22.3%.

  • Is this different to the office 365 version?

    • +1

      Yeah well Office 365 is an official final release.

      This is only a very early experimental development release which is earlier than a beta version. Is potentially very buggy.

  • +5

    So you all know. The preview version is not intended to be used by home users. It's an experimental pre beta version and so they don't want the home user public to be using this. Use at your own risk.

    It was only intended to be used by organisations to be testing the very early features of this upcoming program. So the organisations can adapt their computer hardware for it for when the RTM version is released. But the beta version is yet to be released.

    • Thanks. Won't be using it.

  • Thanks mate!

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