Microsoft Office 2010 or Office 2013 - is it worth the upgrade?

Microsoft Office 2010 or Office 2013 - anyone planning a new purchase should be aware of this: The latest Office 2013 office suite offers a revised interface with brand new features. These include touch operation, a subscription model and cloud connection. But should you switch even if you are a satisfied Office 2010 user? What will change in the next generation of Office?

When it is worth upgrading from Office 2010 to Office 2010

Basically, it is worth switching to Office 2013 (in particular to one of the subscriptions) if you...

• want to access your documents from several, even different, devices (tablet, notebook, PC, smartphone)
• want to edit your documents in a team or within the family
• work on a device with touch input
• always have the latest version of Microsoft Office available
• want to have a consistent user experience on Windows 8
• often have to work on third-party devices without pre-installed Office

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What does an Office subscription model offer?

While Office 2010 was still based on the classic "software packages", which could simply be purchased as a software box, Microsoft is also relying on a subscription model for Office 2013. Apart from this, there are of course still the packages in the classic box.

The subscription packages are marketed under the name "Office 365" and are rented for a fixed term. This means you can only use the office software for as long as you pay the annual or monthly fee. The big advantage of this is that you always have the latest version of Microsoft Office at your disposal. This means that when an upgrade is released, it is already included in the subscription fee. The subscription models are also reasonably priced, and there are special offers for students and schoolchildren.

A major advantage of Office 2013 over its predecessor is the "On Demand" service included in Office 365. Subscription customers can still use the office package on any PC where Microsoft Office is not installed. Nothing needs to be installed on the PC in question for this, not even memory space is taken up.

Documents always at hand - cloud connection

To make the subscription model even more attractive, Microsoft is adding 20 GB of storage for the SkyDrive online hard disk and 60 free minutes for Skype. While Office 2010 didn't have much to do with the cloud, SkyDrive is now fully integrated into the office suite. This means that Office documents can be saved quickly and easily in the cloud and edited again at any time from anywhere with an Internet connection. A decisive advantage for users who travel a lot and use multiple devices.

Touching allowed - Office with touch optimization

Anyone who has ever tried to use Office 2010 on a touch device will be disappointed. Editing documents is very tedious and is not only time-consuming but also nerve-wracking. The new version of Microsoft Office is a different story. The interface has been specially optimized for touch devices and can therefore be used effortlessly on any slate or tablet. Even Excel lists and PowerPoint presentations can be created with ease.

Apps for Office 2013

New in Office 2013 are the so-called Office Apps. These extend the functional scope of the applications with special functions such as dictionaries, reference works and currency converters. Unfortunately, the App Store for these extensions is still somewhat empty, even a long time after their introduction. These apps are therefore not a decisive advantage for switching to Office 2013, as the standard Office functions are sufficient in most cases anyway.