[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Warning - do not - DO NOT - use productkeys(dot)com. They buy bulk keys from questionable sources - often stolen and hacked to make them active, and sometimes stolen from people who've already activated for their own use (making them invalid to anyone else).

Not sure where you got your information from, but they have a high score on TrustPilot and are widely recognized for great customer service. There are numerous good reviews of the site online.

I was in IT for 40 years, and have been using ProductKeys.com for a number of years with zero issues. Every key I've used has been verified by Microsoft.

Please stop with the fake scare tactics.

[mtdjed]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

LibreOffice does the same things in the same ways that MS Office do. The keyboard shortcuts are the same, the little icons for people who'd rather click on things than use keyboard shortcuts are the same. There is MORE customization available, but if you want to use only the customization that you had with the limited MS Office, it works the same way. All the commands will be familiar to you. There are the same wizards and templates and sorting and mail merge options so if you want to send your group Christmas card to your 80 closest relatives, you can create the card with graphics and imported photos and print out the address labels with ease, just like you did with MS Office.


Plus, it's free.

Guess what else is free? His current MS Office Package that he has been using for years. And not only does it work the same way, but it is the same and will be forever.

Have never had any issues using my 18-year-old package that has not been supported for 8 years.

My recommendation would be to continue using your current unsupported MS Office. Take advice to change only if you have a problem.

LibreOffice may be free and do the same things as MS Office but there are differences in format, location, etc. necessary due to copywrite issues.

[FredMitchell]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Web-based stuff is only useful if you plan on only using it when you're online. If you want or need to work (for instance) from your laptop while in an area that has no wifi access, or the wifi and electricity went down during a storm and you still need to get something done, you can't do it. Unless it's NOT web-based.

It's the #1 reason why I don't use Google docs. LibreOffice is on my laptop, desktop, and tablet hard drives. My new tablet doesn't have a micro-ssd port which annoys me but I load things to the cloud and then download to the tablet's hard drive anything I expect to need every couple of months.

There are very few areas in this country with no wifi access. If you lose power, you can tether to your phone. Eventually, your device and phone will need to be recharged, so if you lose power longer than that, you aren't going to be working anyway.

FWIW. The original post was about using MS on a PC. Most will say laptop or something similar, reserving PC for desktop MS computers. So a loss of power would knock the poster off anyway.

It might be safe to say that there are no areas in this country, or maybe even above ground/water, in the world with Starlink. It has thousands of satellites up and they are launching about 100 per month. It has been available in Ukraine since shortly after the invasion.

You can work locally if you want to, but many people actually benefit from sharing access to documents and collaboration.

[JoelJohnson]

Originally Posted by kkingston57

Good information but 99.9% of us are retired and a simple Word and Excel program is what 99.9% of us need

99.9% don't need Windows (especially Windows 11).

You can continue to use Windows 10, for a while.

You can convert to Linux Mint, which works similar to Windows and is free. You can use Libre office, which is comparable to Word and Excel.

My choice is the Chromebook. Docs and Sheets work very well (and you can easily convert from Windows to Chrome).
Best of all, you cannot get a virus Malware is a different problem).
Updates are automatic when you shut off the Chromebook and turn it back on.
I still have one of the first Chromebooks (doesn't work).
I have old PCs that I converted to Linux and others that I converted to Chrome/OS (Chromebook like).

I will NEVER go back to Windows.

[flsteve]

Originally Posted by SeanInFlorida

I use Stack Social to purchase many PC applications. I purchased Office 2021 for 39.00 for each of my PC's and dumped the office 365 subscription every year. It is a 1 PC lifetime license.
These are all 100% legit apps. The site is well known in the computer geek world, lol. Don't pay 150.00-200.00 for the same thing.
StackSocial: The Hottest Tech Deals, Delivered Daily
However as others have said, your Office apps are not going to stop working.
I still have an old Windows 7 machine that has the old Office on it and all the Office apps still work fine.
You just don't get new updates/features, but who care if you are just doing basic Word/Excel stuff.

Wow! Thanks so much for that link! I just bought Office 2021 for $35.97 total.
Hard to believe!

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by JoelJohnson

99.9% don't need Windows (especially Windows 11).

You can continue to use Windows 10, for a while.

You can convert to Linux Mint, which works similar to Windows and is free. You can use Libre office, which is comparable to Word and Excel.

My choice is the Chromebook. Docs and Sheets work very well (and you can easily convert from Windows to Chrome).
Best of all, you cannot get a virus Malware is a different problem).
Updates are automatic when you shut off the Chromebook and turn it back on.
I still have one of the first Chromebooks (doesn't work).
I have old PCs that I converted to Linux and others that I converted to Chrome/OS (Chromebook like).

I will NEVER go back to Windows.

You need Windows 11 if you want to download TurboTax for the 2025 tax season onto a desktop or laptop computer. I don't want to use the online version.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoy

Google Libra Office. (Libraoffice.org). Ignore the Amazon result.
It is open source software. Very safe and most importantly it is free, always free. It has a spreadsheet, word processor, and presentation software. It supports several languages as well as foreign keyboard layouts. (There is also a database tool, as well as a mathematics formula writer.)It is capable of editing several versions of MS products and can save documents, spreadsheets and presentations in MS format. Functionality is pretty much the same as MS products, but there are slight differences between the key stroke commands. Oh. And did I mention it is free. Updates are delivered automatically, or you can select to download updates as they become available. I have been using Libra for the past 15 years as well as other open source products to avoid the MS charges and constant signing into MS

Just a minor (but important) correction: it's LibreOffice, not LibraOffice. Libre refers to the latin for "free" or "freedom." LibreOffice is a free office suite. Libra is an astrology symbol and completely unrelated.

[FredMitchell]

Google Workspace (originally called GSuite iirc)
A financial service company with exceedingly high security requirements chose this. They supported Windows, Mac, and LInux. (Sorry my previous answer did not address your specific questions.

1) What are the pros and cons versus MS Office?
Pro - works on all of those platforms, including yours. Supports simultaneous collaboration worldwide. You are always running the latest software with no installation or maintenance needed other than browser updates. While the programs are slightly different, there are plenty of youtube videos and tutorial and how-to's available for both office and google products. You can likely ask things like I did X in some Office tool. How do I do that in the corresponding google tool?


The Workspace product is for organizations. It is a subscription product. The individual components that you will want to use personally are still free.
You can try it today. It is free. You can gradually phase into it with no pain.
Con - You will need to learn the equivalent things if you convert,

2) How secure is the software?
If it was secure enough for this firm, it exceeds your security requirements.

3) Is it open source or proprietary software?
Proprietary.

4) Can you open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents?
Yes.

[Mleeja]

Originally Posted by dtennent

My current version of MS Office on my PC will no longer be supported after October. I am looking at alternatives to MS 365 and was wondering if other folks have used other vendors that offer an office suite of software. If so,
1) What are the pros and cons versus MS Office?
2) How secure is the software?
3) Is it open source or proprietary software?
4) Can you open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents?

Up until now, I have purchased a version of MS Office and used it until it wasn’t supported and then purchased a newer version. As I look on line, I see that there are several sources for similar products but I am not sure of the quality of these products. I regularly use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Thanks for any help you offer. (Well, maybe not the snide comments but any help is appreciated.)

What version of Office are you using?

[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by flsteve

Wow! Thanks so much for that link! I just bought Office 2021 for $35.97 total.
Hard to believe!

As I posted earlier - Office 2024 (not 2021) - is only $19.90 at ProductKeys.com. Office 2021 is $13.90.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by PoolBrews

As I posted earlier - Office 2024 (not 2021) - is only $19.90 at ProductKeys.com. Office 2021 is $13.90.

I see many websites that sell very cheap windows 10 product keys - Microsoft Q&A

Cheap Activation Keys Legit? - Microsoft Q&A

From AI:

ProductKeys.com likely obtains its software product keys
through unauthorized and potentially illegal methods, such as using keys from stolen corporate volume licenses, keys purchased with stolen credit cards, or keys acquired through other illicit means. These keys are not from authorized Microsoft resellers and may be from invalid sources or violate Microsoft's licensing agreements, carrying the risk of being deactivated or paired with malicious software.
How these sites get product keys:

Volume License Keys: They may use keys intended for organizations with large-scale software deployments.

Stolen Keys/Credit Cards: Some sites use keys bought with stolen credit cards or acquire keys from corporate licenses without permission.
Other Unauthorized Sources: Keys can come from various unregulated channels, including those that are not legitimate or are designated for different regions.

Why this is risky:

Violation of Licenses: The keys are not sold through authorized channels, which violates Microsoft's terms of use.

Risk of Deactivation: Microsoft can deactivate these keys, rendering them useless.
Malware and Security Risks: Product keys from such sources are often associated with counterfeit or pirated software that may contain viruses, malware, or other harmful programs.
No Affiliation with Microsoft: These sites are not affiliated with or authorized by Microsoft

This isn't news. productkeys(dot)com has been around a long, long time. It's been doing this a long, long time. They're a subcategory of "warez."

[dtennent]

Originally Posted by Mleeja

What version of Office are you using?

Office 2019. While I know I can keep using the software, I would rather use software that is supported. The response to my original post has been very interesting.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by PoolBrews

Not sure where you got your information from, but they have a high score on TrustPilot and are widely recognized for great customer service. There are numerous good reviews of the site online.

I was in IT for 40 years, and have been using ProductKeys.com for a number of years with zero issues. Every key I've used has been verified by Microsoft.

Please stop with the fake scare tactics.

Regarding TrustPilot, from AI:

"It is inaccurate to say Trustpilot is entirely fake, as it hosts millions of genuine customer reviews. However, the platform faces persistent and well-documented issues with fake reviews and businesses manipulating their ratings. The site's business model creates conflicts of interest that undermine the reliability of its reviews."

[Mleeja]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

You need Windows 11 if you want to download TurboTax for the 2025 tax season onto a desktop or laptop computer. I don't want to use the online version.

I am not happy about this requirement for Turbo Tax. I am not going to buy a new PC with Windows 11 just so I can download Turbo Tax. There are several YouTube videos showing how to install Windows 11 on non-compliant PCs. I think I am going to try this…or bit the bullet and use the cloud version of Turbo Tax.