Buying Microsoft Office 2003

[Deisel Weisel]

Just putting my first build together. Already bought most bits required, but I need ‘office applications’. So I go to some UK retail sites and they state MS Office 2003 can’t be purchased separately, only when purchased with a complete system. Yet OcUK don’t appear to have such a stipulation: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=33&catid=124

Why do they say only purchase with computer, and why do OcUK appear to be different?

Also: I need Word and Excel now, and maybe a database application early next year. What should I buy now? Basic (Excel, Word, Outlook), Small Business (+ Publisher, Powerpoint) or Professional (+ Access)?

I’m a small business, and one other thing I want to do is cut-out typesetters fees by typesetting myself, our press advertising. Would I use Publisher, Powerpoint or something else?

What happens when MS Office 2007 comes out early next year? What influence will that be on my choice now? Will it be relatively cheap to upgrade?

[mats.hogberg]

Get OpenOffice for free (or wait for the imminent Office 2007 if you can't resist the urge to feed Uncle Bill )
That Office is only sold with a system is bull. There's Office packages on every shelf in every consumer electronics shop here in Sweden at least.

/Mats

[jagabo]

OEM Office is supposed to sell with new hardware. Some sellers will throw in a $1 power cord to meet that requirement. Retail Office lists for US$500.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

I purchased Office 2003 through a work-at-home program and it came with absolutely every bell and whistle you can think of -- even some stuff that the Pro version doesn't have.
My girl friend bought the Student version at her campus.
I've seen both Home and Pro for sale at CompUSA & OfficeDepot.
You can definitely buy MS Office 2003 separately.
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ThirdCategoryList.jsp?SecondCategoryCode=1203

[Scorpion King]

I bought Office XP Professional v2002 for like $595.00 at CircutiCity in 2002. I got an OEM version years ago for like $39 with the purchase of a hard drive. The pro version had more stuff in it than the OEM. I say the small business version for you. I could get by easily with the OEM.

good luck.

[jagabo]

If Office OEM is like Windows XP OEM (I haven't read Office's EULA), you may not be able to migrate it to a new PC in the future.

[AlanHK]

I'm a small business, and one other thing I want to do is cut-out typesetters fees by typesetting myself, our press advertising. Would I use Publisher, Powerpoint or something else?

Something else. Microsoft software is hated, derided and loathed by all in the DTP industry. Especially when people try to do it themself and bring some MS Publisher or Word or Powerpoint file and expect to be able to get professional quality output without anyone spending hours converting and tweaking it.

If it's press ads (i.e. single page) you might be able to use something like Adobe Illustrator or Freehand, or CorelDraw. Photoshop maybe, but that's mainly for photo images, as the name implies.
If price is an issue you can get versions a couple of years old very cheap on auction sites or the like; it's unlikely you really need the bleeding edge stuff.
You should spend a little time talking to the people who will be dealing with your files and ask what they like and why.

[dwill123]

I still use Office 2000 - can't think of anything I'm missing from newer versions.

[BJ_M]

there has not been much real changes since office 97 -- for basic word processing and spreadsheets

[jagabo]

The only reason I updated from Office 97 was because of document format differences. I would sometimes receive files that wouldn't open with Office 97. Not because they used any new features but because new versions of Office by default save with formats that are not compatible with older versions -- just to force everyone to update.

[CrayonEater]

Well, for one thing, forget Office 2007 - with the way things are going, it will likely be much more expensive, and will require authentication to use, and more tightly-controlled. Jagabo made a good point, except that it's highly likely that you will not be able to migrate it to a new PC. MS is really tightening stuff up.

Stick with Office XP, maybe 2003. Frankly, XP is just fine. You can do change tracking, document comparison, all that kind of neat crap. The main difference between XP and 2003 is that 2003 is better for team projects-but, of course, that implies a heavily server-oriented setup. All in all, there is little new stuff in 2003 and nothing all in 2007 to warrant even considering them. Especially so if you're a small business.

[mats.hogberg]

there is little new stuff in 2003 and nothing all in 2007

Yes, it's a new document format again... (See jagabo's post above)

/Mats

[drjtech]

If you have an older version of Office and need to read or convert incompatible documents from newer versions check out Microsoft's free veiwers and converters: http://www.microsoft.com/office/000/viewers.asp

-drjtech

[BJ_M]

there is little new stuff in 2003 and nothing all in 2007

Yes, it's a new document format again... (See jagabo's post above)

/Mats

they are going to a XML format i believe

[pepegot1]

I got mine on Ebay.

[lordsmurf]

Microsoft software is hated, derided and loathed by all in the DTP industry. Especially when people try to do it themself and bring some MS Publisher or Word or Powerpoint file and expect to be able to get professional quality output without anyone spending hours converting and tweaking it.......... If it's press ads (i.e. single page) you might be able to use something like Adobe Illustrator or Freehand, or CorelDraw. Photoshop maybe, but that's mainly for photo images, as the name implies.

Not entirely:
- Microsoft Word is great for accepting text-only documents. That's about it, however.

On the other hand:
- Microsoft Publisher is crap. Use Adobe PageMaker or Quark.
- Microsoft Powerpoint is crap. Make a movie in Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro or Sony Vegas Video.

[JohnnyMalaria]

A key change in Office 2007 is the user interface:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101679411033.aspx

[SingSing]

Are those low cost student version of microsoft office still available ? They used to cost less than $100.00, and I don't think the user miss much of functionalities.

[AlanHK]

- Microsoft Word is great for accepting text-only documents. That's about it, however.

Notepad works as well and doesn't convert things without asking.
I do a lot of DTP and use Word by necessity, but convert to a plain text format (with formatting codes) asap, and use Ultraedit from then on.

On the other hand:
- Microsoft Publisher is crap. Use Adobe PageMaker or Quark.

The OP was talking about press ads. Quark or PM are for multi-page publications. Drawing apps as I mentioned are much easier to use for box ads.

[Deisel Weisel]

Many thanks for all the replies

Stick with Office XP, maybe 2003. Frankly, XP is just fine.

One thing I’m not getting: MS XP is the OS, so are you saying it comes c/w some office apps? Which ones? And MS Works 2006 doesn't have Excel, right?

[jagabo]

Office XP is an older version of Office that shipped around the time Windows XP was released:

Office 97
Office 2000
Office XP
Office 2003
Office 2007

[BJ_M]

Office XP - if i remember , had some stability issues and some bugs that were never were worked out until office 2003 was released (which really seems an update for office 2003)

office 97 was rock solid and you can buy legal copies for a few bucks ..


if you use it -- outlook was GREATLY improved starting in office 2003 (needed somewhat in a EXCHANGE setup)

[JohnnyMalaria]

if you use it -- outlook was GREATLY improved starting in office 2003 (needed somewhat in a EXCHANGE setup)

Except for IMAP support which, for some reason, is awful. Outlook Express and IMAP on the other hand works just fine.

[Timoleon]

Office 97 was a great piece of software --- just "right" in about every way.

If you need something with Word and Excel 2003 compatibility, high quality, and reasonable price --- check out SoftMaker Office 2006. PC Magazine gave it glowing kudos a couple of years ago. I've used it professionally for several years now and couldn't be happier...

If you need a separate database program with MS Office compatibility, then OpenOffice is probably the way to go...

[BJ_M]

if you use it -- outlook was GREATLY improved starting in office 2003 (needed somewhat in a EXCHANGE setup)

Except for IMAP support which, for some reason, is awful. Outlook Express and IMAP on the other hand works just fine.

true -- i spent some time today in fact , editing a registry for such a reason (and swapping out dlls from different versions)

sending mail and attachments within office applications without outlook or express installed is a bit$h also (using thunderbird instead) - involved some install and remove techniques .... but it all works now

[AlanHK]

Many thanks for all the replies

Stick with Office XP, maybe 2003. Frankly, XP is just fine.

One thing I’m not getting: MS XP is the OS, so are you saying it comes c/w some office apps? Which ones? And MS Works 2006 doesn't have Excel, right?

Windows and Office are two separate products. You may get Office bundled when you buy a PC. The versions are partly to indicate what OS they're compatible with, partly to encourage people to think their version has to be upgraded.

In reality, for a small business, any version at all will be more than enough. Office had all the features anyone would actually use ten years ago. Most people use Office to write two-page memos or add up their expenses, things I could do with Wordstar and Lotus 123 20 years ago. Do you really need to embed movies into your memos?