offices

It's finally official. Microsoft is launching the new Office, aka Office 2013, on January 29.

There have been lots of rumors that January 29 would be the day that the latest version of Office would be generally available via retail channels. But thanks to a tweet from the Office team, and a #Timeto365 campaign/hashtag -- which I saw via Winbeta.org -- we now know Microsoft is "launching" the new Office on Tuesday in Bryant Park in New York City. (Thanks for the heads up, guys! Luckily, I live within walking distance.)

Microsoft released Office 2013 to manufacturing … Read more

In a recent column, PC World editor Jon Phillips tackled this provocative topic: "Why PC users hate Microsoft."

Noting that few users would admit to anything like fondness for the company, Phillips suggests that because we're effectively stuck with Windows when we buy a new PC, Microsoft is the obvious scapegoat when things go wrong. "When Windows fails [users]," he writes, "they elevate Microsoft to boogeyman status: a craven, profit-hungry monopoly that runs an unreliable service."

True, but I think there's more to it than that. Much, much more. I say this … Read more

As expected, Microsoft is pricing its next-generation Office 2013 lineup in a way to try to convince users to pay an annual subscription fee -- with multiple device-installation rights as a carrot -- instead of buying the Office 2013 software outright.

Microsoft is believed to be ready to launch its next-generation Office product within the next few weeks, possibly before the end of January. The newest version of Office -- known both as "the new Office" and "Office 2013" -- will be commercially available on that date. In preparation for the launch, Microsoft has been … Read more

This is an update of a deal I wrote about many moons ago. Like, 19 moons.

If you're still chasing that pipe dream known as the paperless office, you know that half the battle is digitizing all your paper documents. It can be a major hassle, especially if you're working with a flatbed scanner (i.e., one that lacks an auto document feeder).

That's what makes the NeatDesk such a cool tool: it quickly batch-scans documents, receipts, and business cards, then organizes them into digital filing cabinets. Though it's been around for years, there's no … Read more

Even though Google execs have made some recent noises about making inroads on Microsoft's business-applications turf, the software giant claims it's not breaking a sweat.

Google "has not yet shown they are truly serious," about the enterprise app business, general manager in Microsoft's business division Julia White told the New York Times. "From the outside, they are an advertising company."

Google has increasingly beefed up its enterprise businesses, such as Google Apps and Google Cloud Services, which compete directly with Microsoft. Earlier this week, Google's head of enterprise Amit Singh announced to … Read more

Being able to read, e-mail, and share documents created in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on your Android device brings great advantages. Kingsoft Office Reader for Android Free makes these tasks fast and easy.

After a quick installation, this app loaded quickly on our device. It is pretty light on the resources and bug-free. The user interface is clean and simple to use. It worked well identifying and opening e-mail attachments and other Office document types we tried. Kingsoft Office Reader for Android Free is appropriate for all skill levels, and most users will find it handy. Even though it works … Read more

The U.S. and Russia have agreed on an "action plan" to fight the theft of intellectual property, including online piracy of copyrighted materials.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the agreement yesterday, saying that the plan's priorities include, quote:

"Combating copyright piracy over the Internet, including actions such as takedowns of infringing content, action against persons responsible for IPR [Intellectual Property Rights] crimes, coordination with rights holders, cooperation and information exchange between IPR enforcement officials, and devotion of resources and personnel to law enforcement agencies to combat piracy over the Internet.

In hindsight, 2012 may well be the year that marks the biggest transition in Microsoft's storied corporate history.

That statement might get some argument from Microsoft watchers, who would put the debut of Windows 95 and the retiring of co-founder Bill Gates ahead of 2012 for sea change at the company. But 2012 marked the year that Microsoft decided that basing its business on software alone isn't enough to survive in the evolving world of technology.

Now, as Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer says at every opportunity, Microsoft is about devices and services. The company is building devices, … Read more