News - Microsoft backs down over Office 2013 software transfers

[HEXUS]

Office 2013 retail agreement now changed to allow buyers to transfer software.

Read more.

[brasco]

Good call, it was going to be a real PR disaster if they'd persisted.

[Irien]

Now, allow 3 machine licence for Home/Student edition as per 2007 and 2010 editions, and we'll all get along famously.

[crossy]

“This means customers can transfer Office 2013 to a different computer if their device fails or they get a new one. Previously, customers could only transfer their Office 2013 software to a new device if their PC failed under warranty.”

Hmm, a question about the previous arrangement - how does this apply to folks who didn't buy their PC ready-built? (Which, I'm sure, is a situation that applies to a lot of Hexus readers). As I see it there are two choices:
(a) No official warranty, so no chance to migrate that copy of Office, even if your new rig failed 30 seconds after Office was installed;
(b) It's down to the "manufacturer" (/assembler) to decide what warranty they see as reasonable.

I'm very, very sure that (a) is the arrangement Microsoft were thinking, but it does amuse me to think that because my latest rig has a "lifetime warranty" from "Crossy's PC's" I'd be able to categorise any failure as being covered under warranty. That said, my DOA failures have invariably been down to Microsoft's operating system rather than hardware issues.

Getting back to the article, good news that Microsoft has listened to the chorus of disapproval for what was, by all accounts, a bone-headed move. Now if they allowed a 1:1 migration of my current H&O Office 2010 3 user license then I'd be happy.

[Saracen]

I'm surprised they, erm, u-turned, but delighted, because short of this change, no way would I buy another version of Office.

Having said that, after the original numpty decision, I will still be looking long and very hard at alternatives, like Libre. I might not be able to avoid MS Office entirely, but I can for many purposes.

So I'm glad for the change, but at least in part, the damage is done with me, because going MS for Office software is no longer an automatic reflex for me.

[phili_c51]

I'm not surprised. Recently been fined in the EU for not giving browser choices clearly enough. Licencing one PC only would also infringe on the EU's policy that companies have to allow software to be sold second hand.

[spraint]

The EU has, however, said that licensors are free to apply DRM, virtual dongles and other inbuilt obstacles that effectively obviate any reselling of software. All that they cannot do is to forbid the process of transferring software licences - i.e. ask for eBay et al to pull auctions and sales.

[Homeking]

Microsoft really can't help themselves sometimes. Seem to go out of their way to alienate customers then expect us to be grateful they have listened to "customer feedback" and changed their mind.

Very happy with Libre - does everything I need and more at the moment. Perhaps Microsoft should wake up to the fact there are alternatives they can drive people to.

[c12038]

Does this apply to the Windows 8 as this is locked to one PC as well via hardware tagging and one licensing agreement as per PC installation....

Unlike windows 7 (change hardware without the need to buy new licensing agreement)

[ET3D]

Microsoft has changed several decisions in recent years based on feedback (in the form of the entire net getting up in arms). I think that shows it's reasonable.

[crossy]

Very happy with Libre - does everything I need and more at the moment. Perhaps Microsoft should wake up to the fact there are alternatives they can drive people to.

Same here - in fact the only part of Office that I find I still need is Excel. For the rest I find the free alternatives (Word v's Librewriter) are just as good (especially as L.Writer has the old style menus!), or in some cases better (Thunderbird I like a lot more than Outlook)

I think Microsoft should be praised for being "responsive" - after all they can't be expected to get every decision right, so having the guts to recognise a bad decision and fix it quickly is an admirable quality.

[TheAnimus]

I think Microsoft should be praised for being "responsive" - after all they can't be expected to get every decision right, so having the guts to recognise a bad decision and fix it quickly is an admirable quality.

Rather than just try and say it was the fault of a lawyer using a template, and we really don't mean this for our cloud service.

[Saracen]

I think Microsoft should be praised for being "responsive" - after all they can't be expected to get every decision right, so having the guts to recognise a bad decision and fix it quickly is an admirable quality.

Well, yes, I agree .... but they also deserve the opprobrium for trying it on in the first place.

[iamlorro]

Well, yes, I agree .... but they also deserve the opprobrium for trying it on in the first place.

hear hear.

though i was surprised at the upgrade prices they offered for win 8.

[Saracen]

hear hear.

though i was surprised at the upgrade prices they offered for win 8.

Indeed.

Begs the question "why?", doesn't it? Perhaps because it's not a huge shift in perceivable benefit from Win7? Perhaps a nod to the growing acceptance of Linux as a credible alternative for many people? Perhaps as an acknowledgement of the backlash over the horrible interface change. Perhaps it's a way to "buy" an increased initial take-up to try to gain momentum.

Any way you cut it, it'll be a hard-nosed assessment of their best interests.