That year, Microsoft released Office 2013. This event marked the beginning of office software fully embracing touch and the cloud. However, its subsequent sales model and licensing model triggered discussions among many people.
Core function innovation
In the Windows 8 environment, Office 2013 introduces a specific "touch mode" based on the characteristics of the touch screen. The distance between interface elements is set larger to perform special optimization. This design changes the interaction habits between users and office software, making it possible to edit documents on tablet devices.
The software interface uses a flatter design style, and documents are stored in the cloud OneDrive by default. Such changes brought many users into contact with cloud storage for the first time. Although it brought convenience in cross-device access, it was resisted by some users at the time due to its dependence on the network and privacy concerns.
Cloud service integration
This version has become more and more closely related to the Office 365 subscription business. Even if the user purchases the traditional permanent authorization version, he will be frequently prompted to switch to the subscription model. This is regarded as a key step in the transformation of Microsoft's business model.
With the help of integrated cloud services, automatic storage of documents and generation of version history records are achieved, which provides benefits for team collaboration. However, in this process, some localization functions and setting options have been simplified, so that the user's control over files has been weakened to some extent.
Cross-platform support significance
In the third quarter of 2012, Office 2013 released a version for the ARM architecture. This was the first time that the suite supported non-x86 processors. This move was aimed at adapting to ARM tablet devices such as Surface RT at the time to expand the mobile office market.
However, due to the ecological limitations of the ARM version of Windows system itself, the application scope of this version of Office is limited. However, it has accumulated key technical experience for the subsequent launch of mobile versions of Office on iOS and Android platforms.
Interface design concept
The new concept is "focus on content" adopted in the new version. The Ribbon is simplified and is folded by default in order to expand the display space of the document editing area. The purpose of this change is to reduce visual interference.
This design has been recognized by content creators. However, for experienced users who often use various advanced functions, the folded functional area actually adds to the operational process, which affects efficiency to some extent.
Licensing and sales changes
After Microsoft launched Office 2013, it significantly strengthened the genuine verification mechanism, making the function restrictions of unactivated products more stringent. This in turn promotes the wholesale shift of institutional users towards enterprise agreement authorization.
In terms of individual users, Microsoft has begun to fully promote the Office 365 Home Edition and Personal Edition in the form of annual payment. The previous "purchase and permanent use" retail boxed version has gradually withdrawn from the mainstream sales channels, thus changing the user's consumption model.
Legacy compatibility issues
When the time came to 2013, specific document formats saved by default, such as .docx, began to become widely popular. As a result, many users who were still using old versions of software such as Office 2003 had to install compatibility packages before they could open related files normally.
Even though the new version has enhanced synchronization capabilities with other devices, when it is connected with old systems within certain enterprises (such as specific versions of SharePoint servers), formatting or function mismatches may occur from time to time, causing additional costs for enterprise upgrades.
Do you think the shift from a "one-time buyout" to an "annual subscription" model for office software has more benefits than disadvantages for ordinary users? Do you think so? Welcome to share your views in the comment area. If you find this article helpful, please like it to support this behavior.
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