User profile for user: bookmanjb
bookmanjb Author
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Need basic info about Office 365 for Mac

I have researched Office 365 for the Mac on the web but I'm a bit confused as to what exactly it is.


Is it cloud-based only? I read that its docs are automatically saved to SkyDrive, which I have no interest in. Must I use SkyDrive if I buy the Office 365 subscription? I want the apps on my computer and I want to save the docs to my hard drive.


To backup, I clone my work iMac's hard drive to an external SSD. When traveling, I boot my MacBook up off the SSD, so I have the exact same environment to work in. Will I run into constant re-activation problems with Office 365 if I work that way? I'm worried that Office 365 will count each boot as a different device and disallow further activations after the 5 devices that are included in the subscription.


If I buy and install the one-time purchase Office Home & Student version (iow, not the subscription) on my iMac, will it not allow me to activate it if I boot up off the SSD on my MacBook?


Thanks in advance for any advice & info.

MacBook, macOS High Sierra (10.13.4), 2017 MacBook Retina

Posted on Jul 23, 2018 8:25 AM

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User profile for user: FoxFifth
FoxFifth
User level: Level 10
475,401 points

Posted on Jul 23, 2018 10:15 AM

Office 365 is Microsoft's subscription option for Microsoft Office.


It is not cloud-based only. You download and install the software on your Mac -- similar to what you would do if you purchase the stand-alone version.


SkyDrive is now named OneDrive. Office 365 includes 1TB of storage but you do not need to use it. The apps are on your computer and you can save the documents to your hard drive in the same way that you would do with the standalone version.


I cannot help with the activation question as I haven't tried that. Other things to be aware of is that if you also intend to use any of the apps on a tablet (e.g., iPad) with a screen size larger than 10.1 inches, Office 365 is the only option.


Another consideration is that the current version of Office is Office for Mac 2016 and the 2019 version has been announced by Microsoft for release sometime in the 2nd half of this year. If you decide to purchase the standalone version, you may want to wait and use a monthly Office 365 subscription until the 2019 version becomes available.

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User profile for user: FoxFifth
FoxFifth
User level: Level 10
475,401 points

Jul 23, 2018 10:15 AM in response to bookmanjb

Office 365 is Microsoft's subscription option for Microsoft Office.


It is not cloud-based only. You download and install the software on your Mac -- similar to what you would do if you purchase the stand-alone version.


SkyDrive is now named OneDrive. Office 365 includes 1TB of storage but you do not need to use it. The apps are on your computer and you can save the documents to your hard drive in the same way that you would do with the standalone version.


I cannot help with the activation question as I haven't tried that. Other things to be aware of is that if you also intend to use any of the apps on a tablet (e.g., iPad) with a screen size larger than 10.1 inches, Office 365 is the only option.


Another consideration is that the current version of Office is Office for Mac 2016 and the 2019 version has been announced by Microsoft for release sometime in the 2nd half of this year. If you decide to purchase the standalone version, you may want to wait and use a monthly Office 365 subscription until the 2019 version becomes available.

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Need basic info about Office 365 for Mac

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