Microsoft Office 2013 Review Roundup: Critics vs. Consumers' Opinions

Microsoft Office 2013 reviews continue to trickle in as consumers scramble to decide whether or not the latest productivity suite is a worthwhile upgrade. While the answer to that question is largely debatable, both critics and consumers have weighed in on the topic, repeatedly comparing the Redmond-based company's Office 365 cloud service to Google Docs. Although the 2013 upgrade tweaks the user interface and streamlines various functions, commentators argue that users' willingness to adopt the platform will depend upon how open they are to funneling Microsoft $100 each year. Let's take a look at how the new Office fared in the review circuit.

Critics

"Besides Google Docs, I've also used a number of free or cheaper options, including OpenOffice and Apple's Pages and Numbers," explains The Economic Times. "Yet I've repeatedly found myself coming back to Microsoft's Office. It's not cheap, but you're getting something far more versatile, whether you decide on a subscription or just a one-time payment."

Mashable suggests that "you can arguably have Google Apps on an unlimited number of machines for free, but if you're like me, you'll at one point or another long for a Word formatting option or Excel pivot table. Although Microsoft's cloud integration isn't as good as Google's, you'll also never have the frustration of not being able to work because the connection to the server was "too busy." If you've ever felt adrift in the cloud, at the mercy of the changing winds of the Internet, Office 2013 will keep you safely tethered to the ground."

"Office 365 Home Premium tries to cover all the bases for personal productivity, and in my tests it did an admirable job," says CNET. "With the focus on making the suite available on Windows 8 tablets, the company made many actions easier across the suite out of necessity, and so it's easier to use in general, regardless of the type of device you are working on.

CNN admits that "Some students and professionals actually need all the bells and whistles," and notes that the "free software upgrades and simplicity of having all users on a standard, shared apps suite make Office 365 an appealing option" for small businesses. "But for the person who doesn't need cloud support and just wants to print up a garage sale flier, or share a spreadsheet for managing the family finances, online services like the very good (and very free) Google Docs work just fine."

PC World labels "The cloud-connected Office 365 is potentially a game changer for Microsoft's Office franchise," but laments that "Office on Demand doesn't offer the type of flexibility and consistency you'd hope for with a Web-friendly version of Office."

Consumers (CNET User Reviews)

Tdogdfw identifies Office 2013 as the "best release" of the productivity suite yet - "mainly because of the Cloud integration and new features with SkyDrive and Skype. Those were unexpected, but very refreshing additions to an already industry leading product."

Finally I am able to get the same subscription based pricing I use at my work!," says lukerdoo. "And the ablilty to use it on 5 computers at the same time is icing one the preverbial cake."

Stephenlobo notes that 2013 is "Totally worth the upgrade for anyone with more than 3 computers with some small perks thrown in (20GB free space and some Skype minutes). There are a bunch of features in Word, Excel which I use most often that are definite time savers. Everything does seem smoother and quicker and there are way less annoyances."

According to istill316, "Office 2013 is the best version of Office yet. Never have I used such an enjoyable office suite. And compared to the "free" Google Docs, you save lots of aggravation by paying for Office 2013, which runs smoother, functions better, is more reliable, and now even has online availability!"