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Microsoft Operating System Software

Office 2016: What it looks like so far.

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The second half of 2015 is going to be a busy time in the tech world with the releases of OSX 10.11, iOS 9, Windows 10, and the newest iteration of the Microsoft Office Suite. With so much going on it can be hard to stay on top of the most recent developments, new features, and release date rumors, but for Office 2016 here’s what we know for sure is going to be included in this latest version.

Who is Office 2016 for?

Great question! The short answer is everyone. Office 2016 will be released for Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and web-based platforms. Microsoft hopes that beginning with this release, Office will not require the user to actually be in the office to do their work. The Office apps will be available for installation on mobile devices like phones and tablets as well as computers so that users can get their work done wherever they happen to be.

What’s new in Office 2016?

There are a whole host of new features in the new office released. I’ll talk about a few of the most exciting changes here, but if you are interested in the full list of changes check out this article on office.com.

One of the most exciting features being implemented in the new iteration of office is real-time co-authoring. This is a feature that has been available for a while on web-based office suites like google docs and even office online. Real-time co-authoring allows users to work on the same document simultaneously with each user’s changes made visible immediately to all of the other users. Currently co-authoring is only available in word documents that are stored on either OneDrive (microsoft’s cloud) or Office 365 sharepoint sites; however, Microsoft has indicated that they hope to make this feature available in all office apps.

Another new feature in Office 2016 is the Tell Me feature. Reminiscent of the old office assistant Clippy (except less annoying and more useful), the Tell Me feature allows users to search for commands from within the office apps. The great thing about Tell Me is that it works with plain english meaning you don’t have to know the exact name of the feature you are looking for. Typing something like “draw arrows” will bring up the smart shape toolbar, or typing “change bullet points” brings up the list formatting menu to change bullet styles. The Tell Me feature will save a lot of time as users will no longer have to scour the internet for help finding the feature they need, and just tell office what they want to do.

Microsoft has also expressed that starting with Office 2016 they intend for Office to be a platform rather than just a suite of applications. At first this won’t have much of an effect on users, but Microsoft hopes that more third-party developers will build plugins to be used with office. For example, you might have an uber plugin installed that will allow you to schedule rides as you add events to your calendar in outlook.

With this exciting new range of features, Office 2016 is shaping up to be more than just a new version of the same software, but rather the next step in productive computing.

When is Office 2016 being released?

Mac users with an Office 365 subscription can already download an official release of Office 2016. For other operating systems, users with an Office 365 subscription can download a preview release of Office 2016 that will automatically update to the official release of Office 2016 on release date. For users not in these two groups the latest word is that Office 2016 will be available in late 2015, perhaps sometime around september.

How do I get my copy of Office 2016?

Fortunately, Office is available to most members of the university either for free or at extremely reduced cost. To check if you qualify go to this page. If you already have office, and you’re interested in the preview copy of 2016 take a look at this page.