Why Microsoft Office May Not Be Necessary
Here are the main reasons Microsoft Office may not be needed.
Microsoft Office Online can be enough
Microsoft offers a free web-based version of Word and Excel called “Microsoft Office Online.” Anyone with a Microsoft account can use it for free.
Free Microsoft 365 apps for the web
Some features are limited, but basic tasks like editing can still be done normally.
Files saved in Office Online are stored in OneDrive, so they can also be downloaded from OneDrive and used as local files.
Google Docs and Office-compatible alternatives are widely available
If Microsoft apps aren’t a requirement, there are many alternatives to Microsoft Office—from free options like Google Docs and OpenOffice to low-cost, feature-rich suites like KINGSOFT WPS Office 2. With KINGSOFT WPS Office 2, pricing starts at about $39.
Some may say, “Google Docs can’t be used offline…,” but how much PC work in 2020 can realistically be done offline? Unless there’s a special reason (such as a locked-down corporate environment), most PCs are connected to the internet for the majority of the time.
Is Microsoft Office really required for that task?
For example, if the task is simply writing text, a free text editor can handle it without Word. If presentations are needed, online services like SlideShare can also be used.
Buying the Outlook app just to send and receive email doesn’t make much sense in 2020. And for simple spreadsheet tasks like building tables and totals, Microsoft Office Online or Google Docs is often sufficient.
In the author’s case, Microsoft Office has been avoided for about the past 10 years, and the only real issue was when a CSV file sent to a business partner wouldn’t open correctly in their Excel. That was resolved quickly by switching to a different file format.
Take This Opportunity to Reconsider Whether Microsoft Office Is Truly Needed
As shown above, as of 2020, it’s fair to say that Microsoft Office is not a must-have app.
The reasons are:
- There are plenty of alternative apps.
- Microsoft Office Online can be used for free in the first place.
This article examined whether Microsoft Office is necessary for a BTO PC.
The final takeaway ends up being “Microsoft Office isn’t necessary for most people,” but unless there’s a compelling
