JANUARY 2020 PCWorld 105can do so—as long as you’re comfortable with
the risks. Because Microsoft will no longer be
supporting it with bugs and patches, you will
need thorough and aggressive virus protection
software (go.pcworld.com/virs). Another
roadblock you may face is incompatibility with
some of the newer programs and file formats.
However, keep in mind that almost all Windows
products can be exported regardless of one-to-
one compatibility.
CAN I SWITCH TO OFFICE
365 ONLINE?
Office 365 Online is a free web-based version
of Office. However, it is a limited, scaled-
down version and lacks many of the full
version’s features. This option works well for
students and new users who want to “try
before they buy” and experiment with the
online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
and OneNote. However, unless your needs
are very basic you wouldn’t want to run your
business off these online applications.
SHOULD I UPGRADE TO AN
OFFICE 365 SUBSCRIPTION?
You could, but it’s going to cost you.
Subscriptions include:- Office 365 Business
Essentials for $5.00 per user,
per month - Office 365 Business for
$8.25 per user, per month - Office 365 Business
Premium for $12.50 per user, per month
You can compare all the Office 365
versions on Microsoft’s website (go.pcworld.
com/365v).
Note: The Business Essentials version
provides the free Web and Mobile versions
only, plus four special services: Exchange,
OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. If you
don’t need these four services, save your
money and just go with the free Office 365
Web/Online version.
The Office 365 Home versions include: - Office 365 Home for $100 a year
- Office 365 Personal for $70 a year
- Office Home & Student 2019 for $150 a
year (we’ve seen it discounted to $100 at times)
The Home versions cost more than the
Business versions because they have different
features and user licenses. You can compare
the Office 365 Home, Personal, and Student
versions on Microsoft’s website (go.pcworld.
com/ofhm) and decide which package fits
your needs.
In addition to the 365 Business and Home
versions, Microsoft also offers four Enterprise
plans for corporations and small businesses
(go.pcworld.com/epln): 365 Plus, 365 E-1,
“Support for Office 2010 ending October 13, 2020,” says the
message popping up on Office 2010 screens everywhere.