• Tattorack@lemmy.world
    9·
    2 days ago

    Libre Office. Just stop using Microsoft and use Libre Office.

    Oh, Libre Office is missing a feature you’re expecting? Throw the team a donation (which is still probably cheaper than an Office 360 subscription) and make a request.

  • FiveMacs@lemmy.ca
    46·
    3 days ago

    Adobe is doing it too. they are forcing all current licensing to be upgraded (at a charge) and releasing the legacy licensing under a new name. you must actively downgrade.

    it’s more collusion from big companies seeing as they are all rolling this same immoral tactic out to steal money essentially.

    • relianceschool@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      2 days ago

      Same with Google Workspace. Just got an email last month saying prices are increasing to reflect “new AI features,” all of which I have disabled because (A) I don’t use them, and (B) they’re another privacy nightmare.

      At this point we’re all just subsidizing the shareholders. The vast majority of generative AI being tacked on to subscriptions is useless, it’s just corporations jumping on the hype train to boost their stock price.

    • DV8@lemmy.world
      20·
      3 days ago

      I’ve mentioned it in another thread about this, bug in case you really want to understand: people sign up for much more than the desktop office applications. It’s a full on groupware package that comes with 1TB of cloud storage. Which automatically gives you access to your documents on any machine you use. If you get a new windows device you basically don’t need to put in any effort into setting things up because it’s already there. And for 80 euros you can do this for five people.

      So in short: convenience for a reasonable price. To the point where it’s hard to justify running it yourself. Especially because your family will start to ask you how they can get MS office again.

      Office alternatives have long existed and have been good enough for a long time. I remember writing my evening class project reports in them 20 ish years ago. Funnily enough on how to integrate Linux servers into a Windows domain and authenticating with domain users on that machine. But if you want to compare M365 to something, compare it to NextCloud.

    • CrimsonMishaps@lemmy.world
      18·
      3 days ago

      I get more crashes than I’d like in the Word program (whatever it’s called) so I wish it would stabilize there. But with frequent saving and auto recovery I don’t usually lose anything. Just a nuisance I’ve adapted to in the spirit of open source.

    • GrindingGears@lemmy.ca
      3·
      2 days ago

      For casual users, sure. For professional users the answer isn’t as cut and dried, especially when it comes to Excel users. For one, the last time I checked Libre’s Calc version of solver was nowhere near as useful as the version of Solver that plugs into Excel. It also bogs down under more intense spreadsheets. You also can run into some weird formatting issues trying to go between the two, and when you have people with low intelligence or low patience involved, that alone can be a deal breaker.

      Albeit It’s been awhile since I’ve used Libreoffice, so I mean they might have solved some of this stuff by now. But that’s mainly the reason for my usage of Office. Ain’t saying I love office either, it’s FULL of bugs that are more historical than Benjamin Franklin, yet they refuse to ever address them or add any real actual innovation to newer products. But like it or hate it, it’s long been established as an office staple and we have to live with it.

  • d00phy@lemmy.world
    9·
    2 days ago

    My favorite part of this is how hidden it all is. If you look at the page showing MS365 plans, “Classic” is nowhere to be found, except to purchase Office 2024. If you search “MS 365 Classic”, it takes you here, which says the only way to “downgrade” is to cancel your existing subscription. Like it’s a for-real plan they offer that they really don’t want people using.

    Coke should sue Microsoft.

  • PhilipTheBucket@quokk.auEnglish
    14·
    3 days ago

    Isn’t this literally illegal?

    I know the rules are dead and nothing matters anymore, but I thought “prices clearly posted and customers charged the posted price” was one of those bedrock FTC things that even someone like Microsoft would get in trouble for flagrantly ignoring.