MS finding new ways to make folks hate them: Office 2013 license tied to one computer only.

Published on February 17, 2013 By DrJBHL In Personal Computing

MS has done it again. They must have a Division of Dumbassed Moves.

Their latest winner? You buy a license to MS Office 2013. Now it’s tied to that computer and that’s it. Anything happens to that computer, or you decide to upgrade to another system, you’d better keep the old one because the license cannot be transferred to the new one.

“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.”

To my way of thinking, this is just plain nuts.

Under Office 2010

“You may reassign the license to a different device any number of times, but not more than one time every 90 days. If you reassign, that other device becomes the “licensed device.” If you retire the licensed device due to hardware failure, you may reassign the license sooner.”

Why? MS is also selling subscription-based packages now: Office 365 for Home allows users to install the software on up to five devices. On top of that, it is also available at no extra cost to all members of a household and it is possible to transfer licenses from one computer to another.

They’ll figure a way to disable Office 2013, or a way to track it. How? Who knows. I know I’m history for MS Office.

I’ve been using Libre Office, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to everyone.

You can get it here: http://www.libreoffice.org/#0

Or, you can get Open Office here: http://www.openoffice.org/index1-passthru.html?utm_expid=57643286-7&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

But MS Office? As dead to me as Clippy.

When Computerworld asked MS about this issue:

“Via email, Computerworld asked Microsoft, "Once an Office 2013 retail license is assigned through activation to a PC, it's connected TO THAT PC, correct? Just as is Windows. That then means it cannot be reassigned to ANOTHER PC owned by the same individual, correct?"

The response from Microsoft's public relations firm was simply, "Correct."

Source:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236818/Office_2013_retail_licensing_change_ties_suite_to_specific_PC_forever

Comments (Page 1)

neone6

on Feb 17, 2013

-Well you covered it doc

MadDeez

on Feb 17, 2013

buy a Technet subscription

Jafo

on Feb 17, 2013

Or just stick with 2010....or 2007 .....or 2003 ...

DrJBHL

on Feb 17, 2013

Why give up all the great stuff in Libre 4 or Open Office 4?

I find they have far more than I need anyway.

It's not as if MS puts out Ps. Thank G-d!

Uvah

on Feb 17, 2013

MS office 2013 was on this machine. I uninstalled it the day I fired it up for the first time. I've had first Open Office then Libre Office, basically the same thing only Libre Office is still open source. Beats the crap out of MS Office hands down. Never liked that one anyway. So here's to Microstuff and their un-ending stupidity! What a bunch of jerks.

kona0197

on Feb 17, 2013

Uvah

reply 5

So here's to Microstuff and their un-ending stupidity! What a bunch of jerks.

Yet you still use Windows. Interesting.

Lavo_2

on Feb 17, 2013

I'm one of those rare few who holds on to his MS Office 2003. I like it, for whatever reason, and I can't stand Ribbon, though I hear in 2010+ you can entirely disable it (or nearly so).

c242

on Feb 18, 2013

Oh yeah, I need MS Office foor business reasons (programming in Access and most customers and the employer run MS) and the subscription thingie is funny also. Have a 365 subscription now and 2 things are really bugging me :

1. You don't have any offline media, not even an ISO-Download nor a serial (everything is based on the hotmail account)

2. You can't choose what components to install. Out of compatibility reasons I had to keep Access 2010 on my machine but I could'nt choose NOT to install Access 2013.

Daiwa

on Feb 18, 2013

Lavo_2

reply 7

I like it, for whatever reason, and I can't stand Ribbon, though I hear in 2010+ you can entirely disable it (or nearly so).

I was very skeptical of the ribbon, having used nothing but Office 2000 for years, and was determined to avoid it... until a new computer happened that came with O2010 pre-installed.

While MS took some steps back with certain macro functionality I had gotten used to, I am a complete convert to the ribbon. It's intuitive, straightforward and out of the way if you want it to be. And you can easily build a shortcut bar with all your commonly-used functions. I particularly like the way they set up the new File and Home tabs. I couldn't imagine they could improve on Office 2k enough to make a difference, but I'm far more productive with 2010 and very glad I was forced to make the move.

alaknebs

on Feb 18, 2013

whilst i do use libre office.. (eh.. that is.. the few odd times i do use any office stuff.. ) they are still rather limited in the autoupdate part. having to d/l the whole package every time there's an update quite simply means can't be bothered with updates.

that said. i only use it for basic word processing if i do need to use it.. so that's not too big a deal.

They’ll figure a way to disable Office 2013, or a way to track it. How?

i imagine it's something like oem windows registration.. tied into motherboard.

heck.. they don't even sell retail win 8. afaik, the only win 8 they sell is oem. retails are upgrades.. so you need to buy some old windows to use the upgrade.. (unless exploiting some loophole somewhere i guess) not sure how that works because oem win is limited to 1 machine whilst retail win isn't, unless they've changed something else in win 8 again..

Fenix34

on Feb 18, 2013

MS Office 2010, until I am forced to switch to something else for whatever reason.

kona0197

on Feb 18, 2013

What is this ribbon you all are talking about?

Uvah

on Feb 18, 2013

Ribbon came with Office 2010 I think Kona. I don't use it so I'm clueless. As for Windows...if all the programs including SD worked on Ubuntu I would have 86'd Windows a long time ago. The way I see it Microstuff wants to do what Apple does....keep everything proprietary and cut out all the third party apps and only let you install what they say you can. But whaddya gonna do.....if MS wants to cut its own throat so be it.

harpo99999

on Feb 18, 2013

the 'ribbon' also came with orifice 2007,2010 & 2013(by picture of the user interface), and during the BETA for orifice 2007 I did a effectiveness test between 07 & 03 word by timing the time it took to create a single page business letter with typical business layouts and formating, in 07 it took 4 HOURS for me to create the one page letter, but in 03 it took 15 minutes (and this was after I had been learning the beta 07 for a couple of weeks, so after that test I uninstalled the beta, and have been adviseing all my customers that I found the later version of orifice to be so poor at productivity that I could NOT recommend it EVER

harpo

DrJBHL

on Feb 18, 2013

c242

reply 8

everything is based on the hotmail account

Which you hope and pray will remain secure, Carl.

What happens when hotmail/windows live gets hacked? What happens to your work product and your 365?

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