T he Microsoft Office v.X package that consists of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Entourage, has had its price dropped to US$399, a savings of US$100, according to an article at C|Net. A new professional version which adds Virtual PC will also be available for US$499. These prices match the pricing for Office XP for Windows, where the standard version is available for US$399, and a Pro version is available for US$499.
Microsoft bought Virtual PC from Connectix earlier this year. In addition, college students, teachers, and parents of school-age children will be able to purchase a Student and Teacher edition of Office v.X for US$149. The Student and Teacher version includes all of the same applications as the standard edition of Office v.X. Some universities sell the Windows version of Word and Excel for as little as US$5, though such pricing is negotiated by individual schools. From C|Net:
The software company is cutting the price of the standard version of Office for the Mac by US$100, to US$399. In addition, the company is introducing a "professional" version of Mac Office v. X that sells for US$499 and includes the companyis Virtual PC software for running Windows programs as well as the needed license for Windows XP professional. Microsoft acquired Virtual PC when it bought the assets of Connectix earlier this year.
Education customers will get an even better deal, as Microsoft is introducing a student and teacher version of Mac Office for US$149, which includes all the standard Office programs: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage. The deal applies to college students, teachers and parents of school-age children and can be used on up to three Macs. As with its Windows counterpart, Microsoft is not requiring customers to show proof to obtain the education version.
"We do have an end-user license agreement," said Roz Ho, general manager of Microsoftis Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU). "We trust that our customers will honor that."
You can read the full article at C|Netis Web site.