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Do I Need Microsoft Office 365?

On my old and now retired Movable Type blog, I wrote an article dated August 29, 2012, “Giving Microsoft Office 365 A Whirl.” And earlier this month, Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal wrote an article “Do You Really Need Microsoft Office Anymore?” (subscription required).

In my earlier article, I mentioned that although I didn’t know much about Office 365, I was willing to give it a try. One of my concerns was that I did not understand SharePoint. Although I still don’t understand it, that hasn’t stopped me from using Office 365. One of these days I will learn at least the introductory benefits of using SharePoint.

In Stern’s article, she compares some of the pros and cons of Office 365 against some free alternatives. While it’s true that most of us don’t use many or most of the features of Word and Excel, it’s likely that we all have different preferences. That is, the tools and features that you use most are likely different from those that I use.

For example, most people don’t use macros. Sometimes when working with Excel, I get neck deep into programming macros. These macros allow me to crunch numbers and produce results much faster than I otherwise could. And, they are especially helpful when the work is repetitive.

Aside from macros, I have specialized software applications that tie into Word and Excel to produce specialized documents and perform risk calculations. These applications are not required by typical users; however, I find this functionality essential.

What I like most about Office 365 is that I am already familiar with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. And, I am learning how to use OneNote effectively. With Office 365, I have all my familiar software loaded on my desktop, laptop, and iPad. Much to my surprise and delight, Office 365 is surprisingly good. When I work on a document using my iPad, it shows up in my recent documents on my desktop computer—even better.

I mentioned that I am learning how to use OneNote more effectively. Prior to OneNote, I used a variety of methods to keep track of spurious bits of information. Now, using OneNote, I am keeping my information more organized and accessible. All my stored information on OneNote is automatically available on all devices. One feature that I appreciate is the ability to email notes into OneNote with me@onenote.com feature. Often when I am browsing the internet with my iPad, I come across information that I want to save for later. I quickly send myself an email and the item is added to the bottom of my Quick Notes. Later, I organize my information.

As an advanced user of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, I doubt that I would ever feel completely comfortable using another suite of products. Over my career I have accumulated too much knowledge to want to start over, learning something new. So coming back to Joanna Stern’s question of do I really need Office 365 anymore, my answer is a loud and resounding yes.

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