Office 2016 & Office 365 Current Channel version 1611 build 7571.2109 Office

johngalt said:

That's interesting. If you ahve not logged into your Microsoft account for office, then it should not be pulling Insider builds down - after all, it needs to verify you are supposed to get Office Insdier Preview builds via your account.

Yeah, we do have to log in to our Office subscription portal, but there are quite a few different ones. The addy to the first subscription I bought was totally different than the one given to me by the MVP. But it's not a Microsoft account per se. Instead, it's an Office 365 account. At least both of mine were.

johngalt said:

Perhaps it is remembering your previous installation of 64bit office that 8was* an insider build....and thus continuing to download current insider builds for you.

Yes, it is, and makes no difference between 64 bit and 32 bit. When I went into Manage Account, it showed that I have Office installed on three machines; the desktop, the laptop and the 'droid tablet. Each one has an ID.

Wynona said:

Yeah, we do have to log in to our Office subscription portal, but there are quite a few different ones. The addy to the first subscription I bought was totally different than the one given to me by the MVP. But it's not a Microsoft account per se. Instead, it's an Office 365 account. At least both of mine were.



Yes, it is, and makes no difference between 64 bit and 32 bit. When I went into Manage Account, it showed that I have Office installed on three machines; the desktop, the laptop and the 'droid tablet. Each one has an ID.

Mine is actually an O 365 account as well.

johngalt said:

Mine is actually an O 365 account as well.

Yeah, they're trying to get rid of the one computer version of Office, although they still sell a single license for Office 2016 Home and Student; nothing like that for Business, though.

Makes sense. Software as a Service and all....

johngalt said:

Makes sense. Software as a Service and all....

Yeah, looks like we're headed in the direction of subscription software and there's no way to avoid it.

I don't mind so much if I use the software a lot and can put it on all of my machines. With Office, I get pretty much everything I need and more, so it's worth it.

pparks1 said:

Sure, there is a version for Business.
Here is Office Professional Plus 2016 for $399

And here is Home and Business 2016 for $229.
Compare Office suites – Microsoft Store

OK, but can you find that information at office.com or office.microsoft.com? I've checked and it's not available.

Also, I can't find anything on Office ProPlus for $399; not on the link you provided and not from a web search.

pparks1 said:

I found pro plus in the microsoft store for $399
Buy Microsoft Office Professional 2016 - Microsoft Store

They surely don't make it easy to find, that's for sure. Try finding that on the office.com/office.microsoft.com site! It ain't there!

The best bargain Microsoft has for those of us who don't need the extra services like Skype for Business and OneDrive for Business is Office 365 Home, since the apps within Office are the same whether the suite is for Home or Business. You get seven apps for Home, while you only get six for Business. Go figure. :)

The math for my two computers and 'droid 11.6" tablet:

O365 Home = $99 per year for five computers and five tablets
O365 Home Standalone = $149 for one computer
O365 Home & Business = $99 per year for five computers
O365 Home & Business = $229 for one computer
O365 Business Premium = $399 for one computer

Home Standalone = $298; 'droid not eligible (subscription needed).
Home & Business Standalone = $458; 'droid not eligible (subscription needed).
Business Premium Standalone = $798; 'droid not eligible (subscription needed).

It should be noted that standalone programs pretty much remain static, with no updates/upgrades to speak of.

So, based on the above figures, I could have:

A 3 year subscription to Home (and add my 'droid and three more computers to the mix if need be).
A 4.5 year subscription to Home and Business (and add my 'droid and three more computers to the mix if need be).
A 5.3 year subscription to Business Premium (and add my 'droid and three more computers to the mix if need be).

On average, new versions of standalone programs come out every two or three years. Not everyone will upgrade that often, but not that many will hold onto a program more than four years either. Business users will upgrade on average, every two to three years. Home users less often.

Regardless, if one has more than two or three computers, all of which will use O365, it's easy to justify subscription vs standalone. Besides, O365 would always be up to date.