

Office Online runs in any standard web browser, and there is no need to install software on your desktop or laptop computer. The eight main menu items are Word Online,, People, OneNote Online, PowerPoint Online, Calendar, Excel Online, and OneDrive. The Office Online site itself is a doorway to eight individual sites on which you can create and share Office documents. Microsoft describes it as a way to “collaborate in real time on shared projects” and says that Office Online “works great with Office 365.” Office Online is a free Internet-based service from Microsoft. Before buying Office RT, visit Microsoft’s site and read about the feature-set and the licensing agreement that is currently in force. There have been several versions of the software released since 2013, and the feature set seems to still be evolving.

Office RT is the release of Office that is designed for use on Windows RT devices. Publisher and Access are available only to PC users.

OneNote is also available to both groups of users, but Mac users need to download it from the Mac App Store. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook are included for both Windows and Mac users. It’s easy to access your account using an iPhone, Android phone, or Windows phone. You can save about 16 percent on either Cloud-based version by signing up – and paying for – a full 12 months of service.

The Personal version costs $6.99(US) per month, and the Home version costs $9.99. Office 365 Home offers the same services to as many as five family members. Your Office 365 account includes online storage of the documents that you create. Office 365 Personal allows one person to access the site with a PC, Mac, iPad, or Windows tablet and use the Office programs online. There are two versions of the Cloud-based Office 365: Personal and Home.
