Tuesday, July 09, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft Office and Its Installation on Windows

Regardless of whether you are a beginner or an experienced computer user, especially on the Windows operating system, knowledge of the Microsoft Office software suite, a package of office programs, is of exceptional importance for anyone who truly wants to enhance their IT skills. In today's modern business environment, familiarity with and use of Microsoft Office is assumed; it is even considered basic computer literacy. If you are involved in programming, what others use as a standard, you should know how to code into your programs, regardless of the increasing use and coding of web applications over desktop applications today.

For this and many other reasons, including one of the most important reasons, which is that there are users who do not navigate very well with this most popular and widely used office software package. Many users need to refresh their knowledge and get acquainted with the numerous possibilities and changes that this office software suite offers. Therefore, from today in this post, we want to introduce you to Microsoft Office, so that we can begin tutorials primarily on Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, followed by other programs from this exceptional Microsoft Office suite.

Employees use Microsoft Office 2021 at work

Employees use Microsoft Office 2021 at work

Believe it or not, if you look at, for example, one of the most popular and widely used programs in this suite, it is definitely Microsoft Word, a word processing program. It was created on October 25, 1983, and was used in the DOS – Disk Operating System. Nine years later, on October 1, 1990, it became part of the first Microsoft Office suite of office programs. There are users today who don't use this exceptional suite much, even though most have it installed on their computer in case they need to open a document created in one of the office programs.

Some users, for example, only use a few of its programs and only a very small percentage of the capabilities this suite offers. Some users use other free office suite alternatives like LibreOffice or OpenOffice, which are mainly used on Linux operating systems, while Google offers Google Docs with its online version of office programs. In any case, even if you don't have the Microsoft Office suite installed on your computer, when someone sends you, for example, a Microsoft Word document, in many cases, you will be able to open and view its content even in other office suites. Similarly, you can view some older documents in newer versions of Microsoft Word, which is not the case in reverse when you have an older version of the program and try to open a document created in a newer version than yours.

All in all, if you ask us, no alternative can compare to Microsoft Office and its capabilities. If you give yourself the opportunity to familiarize yourself with some of the tools this suite offers through your own work and creativity, you wouldn’t even believe what you could accomplish. This blog is here to help you. Of course, there are also Microsoft Office courses, which on average range from 80 to over 150 euros for about 20 classes, often divided into basic and advanced, which you can search for and view online on the official websites of private IT schools. Anyway, how someone likes to learn is an individual matter!

What Editions of Microsoft Office Are There and Which Is Right for You?

Given that the Microsoft Office suite of office programs is developed by the Microsoft Corporation, this software package is widely used in business, educational, and personal environments worldwide and provides a range of applications for various office tasks. These tasks and needs on a global level can vary, which is why there are multiple editions, versions, and licenses of the Microsoft Office suite on the market, encompassing some or all of the office programs. Let’s take a look at some of them:

  • Microsoft 365 or Office 365 - Microsoft 365 is a subscription that provides access to the full range of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and others. Additionally, users receive extra services such as OneDrive for cloud storage, Exchange Online for email, and Microsoft Teams for team collaboration. Microsoft 365 has different plans and subscriptions for home use and business users.
  • Microsoft Office Home and Student - This edition typically includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, and is intended for home use and students. It usually does not include business functionalities.
  • Microsoft Office Home and Business - This edition includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. It is intended for small business owners and home users who also use Outlook for email and calendar. 
  • Microsoft Office Professional - This edition includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, and Publisher. It is designed for users who require advanced tools for working with documents, databases, and publications.
  • Microsoft Office Standard - Similar to Office Professional but without Access and Publisher. It is commonly used in larger organizations.
  • Microsoft Office Professional Plus - This edition is intended for large organizations and offers the most advanced functionalities and tools, including Access and Publisher.
  • Microsoft Office Online, Office.com - A free and commercial version of Microsoft Office used via a web browser. This version provides basic functionalities of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other tools in the cloud. The free version has some limitations but can be used with a mobile phone. 
  • Microsoft Office for Mac - A specially tailored version of Microsoft Office for macOS users.

Overall, Microsoft Office is also available for various platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, allowing users to access and edit their documents on different devices. This suite of software tools is crucial for productivity and communication in modern work environments. Since Microsoft Corporation frequently makes changes with new versions, it is necessary from time to time to visit the official Microsoft website, check here; or contact Microsoft Corporation for the latest information on available editions.

Different Microsoft Office editions include a different number of office programs

Different Microsoft Office editions include a different number of office programs

Which Programs Are Included in Microsoft Office Editions and Their Purpose

The most well-known and commonly used programs within Microsoft Office, depending on the edition of the suite, may include the following:

  • Microsoft Word - a word processing program that allows for creating, editing, and formatting documents.
  • Microsoft Excel - a spreadsheet program for working with numbers, data analysis, and creating charts.
  • Microsoft PowerPoint - a program for creating presentations with text, images, animations, and other multimedia content.
  • Microsoft Outlook - an email management program with calendar and contact management features.
  • Microsoft Access - a database for creating and managing various types of data.
  • Microsoft OneNote - a note-taking application that enables organizing and sharing notes.
  • Microsoft Publisher - a program for creating publications, brochures, and other printed materials.
  • Microsoft Teams - a team collaboration app that facilitates communication, document sharing, and meeting organization.
  • Microsoft OneDrive - a cloud service for storing and sharing documents and files.
  • Microsoft SharePoint - a content management and collaboration system within organizations.

Even though you may not use most of the listed programs, make an effort to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the ones you intend to use. Starting from the next post on this blog, you can follow a tutorial for Microsoft Word, the most popular and widely used word processing program.

Everything You Need to Know About Installing Microsoft Office

There are users who buy or use second-hand computers and often get a pre-installed Microsoft Office package with the computer. There are older users or those who feel they are not adept at performing installations on their computer, so they delegate this task to their children, grandchildren, or a friend. In any case, when you buy a new computer, it can be completely empty with either a installed DOS operating system or a Windows operating system, but that does not mean that you get an installed Microsoft Office package with it. It is expected that the next Windows operating system version 12 could be released in 2024 with a pre-installed Microsoft Office package, but for now, these are just speculations.

Therefore, the first thing you should do is decide which edition and version you want to install and purchase the appropriate license before you start installing this package. You can do all of this from the official office.com website with a few mouse clicks. Essentially, installing Microsoft Office is straightforward and similar across all editions. However, due to different licenses, there are more complex installations such as installing Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021. It is important to note that the LTSC version of Microsoft Office is not for everyone, and most users and businesses will use regular versions of Office, including Office 365 or Office 2021, which provide regular updates and access to cloud features. The LTSC version is special and intended for specific cases where consistency and long-term support are most important. In such cases, it is necessary to follow the instructions as mandated by Microsoft Corporation. Watch the following video to see how to install it.


Windows - 29. How to install Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021?



















 

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