Office 2013 Preview Evaluation: Cloud Ordering and touch improvement

The Office 2013 preview has been launched and users can now test it on Win7 and win 8 computers. Microsoft says the Office 2013 Suite (Office 15) is a "modern" version of the software. Office 2013 consolidates cloud services and tries to provide a good experience on the Windows 8 tablet, which shows that Microsoft's focus is on "document collaboration, access to any device anywhere" migration. Notably, Microsoft has also launched an "on demand" version of Office 2013, which you can transfer (stream) to any win 7 or win 8 computer, and it can sync settings and documents On-demand.

Microsoft faces fierce competition from Google Docs and Apple icloud and ipad hardware, how does it maintain the importance of Office 2013 desktop software and its cloud products in a multi-device era? Is Office 2013 a big leap for upgrades or a bridging remedy?

Perhaps the biggest change in office 2013 is not its appearance or functionality, but the way documents are delivered and some significant underlying changes. Microsoft really strengthens the ability to create Word documents on Windows computers and to edit it on Windows Phone, win 8 tablet, or any win 7 or win 8 computer that connects to the Internet. Home users can store documents in Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage service, and businesses and businesses can use Microsoft SharePoint Products. The innovation of Office 2013 is that it lets users stream a full-featured version of Office to a computer with complete personal settings--on-demand Office suite whenever you need it. This is a big step forward in comparison to previous versions of Office (also with cloud-based storage options, but never really combining them into a beautiful package).

On-demand is a very powerful aspect of Microsoft Office 2013 's subscription service: it provides a way for you to access the full version of Office wherever you are. With this service, you can stream a full-featured Office application to any computer running Win 7 and win 8, so you can access the settings and documents you use frequently. In short, you can use a friend's computer to log into a lost Office version and complete a document that, once closed, is removed from the computer. To do all this, you need to order the advanced version of Office 365 (home Premium). But it's very easy to use, so it's an attractive choice for someone who's used to the Office suite and who needs more powerful document editing than Google Docs or Microsoft's own office Web apps. Still, you can choose to buy only stand-alone version of Office 2013 desktop software and SkyDrive as the online storage Center for your documents. This way you won't be able to use a streaming office 2013 application, but you can still enjoy the cloud service and not pay the subscription fee.

Microsoft offers a variety of office 2013 versions for home and corporate users. The order version is suitable for those who do not want to invest upfront to purchase permanent licenses and want to take advantage of their on-demand features, and Microsoft's Office software Plus Services Platform Office 365 will support the Office 2013 subscription version. You can choose from the Home Advanced Edition, the Small Business Advanced Edition (Small Business Premium), the Professional Enhanced Edition (ProPlus) and the Enterprise Edition as needed. With the new home Advanced edition, a family can install Office 2013 on up to 5 computers and get additional 20GB SkyDrive storage space to share documents. This version can access word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Access, and publisher through a networked win 7 or win 8 computer. Documents and settings (even applications) can roam between any computer that you choose to use Office 365. Other versions, such as the ProPlus version, provide additional user accounts, as well as applications such as InfoPath and Lync (software designed for the enterprise). Office 365 also supports office for MAC.

Look and feel

At first glance, you don't see any dramatic changes in the vision of all Office 2013 applications. The Ribbon (Ribbon) interface still exists in each application. But it emphasizes the clean, Metro-style user interface, and these applications look particularly tuned in Windows 8, although they run in desktop mode. The new start experience provides a similar look and feel to previous versions of Office, but seems to be simplified in terms of documentation and templates. On the right side of Office 2013 applications, Microsoft has increased the account login options and the option to store the text in the SkyDrive cloud service. Like Windows 8 users, Office 2013 Users can customize Office toolbar backgrounds in a variety of styles.

Touch mode appears in every application in office 2013, but it has very little functionality. Although it's a little easier to use touch navigation, and it's easier to browse or type data in a document, this feature feels a bit like a gimmick and is hidden. Microsoft's Office team has done roughly the same thing with the Windows team: Windows 7 also comes with similar touch improvements, but it doesn't work as a whole because it's designed primarily for the mouse and keyboard. Office 2013 feels very similar: touch-click feels clunky. Office 2013 is still dominated by a keyboard and mouse-driven interface.