Microsoft has officially unveiled the consumer preview of Office 2013. The new edition has a dramatically different look and feel, as well as tight connections to cloud-based services. Here's what you'll find inside.
Office 2013: new look, new licensing modelsFor this new Office edition, Microsoft is thinking outside the (shrink-wrapped) box. You can get Office 2013 in subscription editions that include the right to install the program onto five devices, to "stream" it onto additional devices for temporary use, and to create and edit files using Office Web Apps.
Install Office desktop apps from the Web
An Office 365 subscription includes the right to install the Office 2013 desktop apps on up to five computers. The Click-To-Run packages install quickly—typically within minutes over a broadband connection.
Introducing SkyDrive Pro
Default storage for Office 365 ProPlus is online, in SkyDrive Pro. The online environment (which bears a striking resemblance to SharePoint) also offers online access to email, calendar, and contacts (on the People tab).
A new name for a time-tested technology
Much of what’s in Office 2013 is familiar technology. The software component that syncs local files with their cloud counterparts at SkyDrive Pro is actually an updated version of Groove. Old-timers will remember Groove as the groundbreaking product that Ray Ozzie brought to Microsoft.
Sign in to Office to save and sync
Signing in with an Office 365 account unlocks access to online files and shared sites. It also syncs settings (including recent documents and bookmarks) between computers. So you can begin editing a document on one computer, exit, and sign in on another PC to pick up where you left off.
Open files from just about anywhere
Click File and then click Open in any Office app to reach this tab, which shows online files (SkyDrive and SharePoint) and local storage, as well as recently opened files.
New files from templates
The New tab for every file-oriented Office app shows recently opened files on the left and a selection of templates (drawn from Microsoft’s large online collection) on the right.
A flat, mostly chromeless interfaceIn the redesigned Office 2013 user interface, there’s almost no “chrome”—no borders around windows, for example. And the UI stays in the background, with a neutral white behind ribbon icons; the only splashes of color are those that help identify individual programs. The orange status bar shown here, for example, is a dead giveaway for PowerPoint.
Office on Demand (streaming)
If you need the full set of editing tools in the Office desktop apps, you can download them for temporary use by logging on to Office 365. When you’re done, all traces of the app and your data are removed.
Easy sharing
In the file-oriented Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), you can share a file via email, social networks, or with an instant message. The recipient gets instant access via SkyDrive.
source:zdnet
