Have to pay to use Windows 11?

[road_rascal]

I was talking with my elderly father (88) today who said he has to pay a $99 yearly fee/lease/rental whatever to use Windows 11 on his computer (I have no idea on how we got started in this conversation) This computer was purchased new from a small computer shop in Colorado back in 2023. I don't have Win11 yet but does this sound normal? I thought if you bought a new computer it should come with a lifetime license.

 

[Analog-1]

No it's not normal. Sounds like a scam.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Windows 11 isn't priced on an annual subscription basis, but Office 365 (now called Microsoft 365) is, and it does cost $99/year, so maybe that's what he's talking about?

 

[Escape08]

Why pay $99/y sub for O365 when you can get LibreOffice for free

 

[CKN]

Yes-you need to pay for Office 365. I can tell you older editions of Word (on a CD) will work with Windows 11- if he has a DVD/CD slot on his computer. You can buy a license on ebay-but I'm not sure of the credibility of sellers.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Why pay $99/y sub for O365 when you can get LibreOffice for free

You do get 5TB of cloud storage and the whole suite. Most use it for Word only, and you can do that for free with Google Docs.

 

[researcher]

Why pay $99/y sub for O365 when you can get LibreOffice for free

Exactly.. I've actually had people argue with me that LibreOffice or Open Office cannot do what Office does, that paying for it makes it somehow better. Hope the older dad can see he doesn't have to pay for that office suite.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Why pay $99/y sub for O365 when you can get LibreOffice for free

I pay $99 a year for my wife to have O365. She has that at work, and for some going back and forth is a pain. Libra will do everything, but everything is not in the same place.

OTOH I use Libra Office myself, even though I could have 0365 - for $99 you get I think 5 seats?

 

[rijndael]

Microsoft Family 365 would let you have access for 6 people. It’s 130 / Yr.

 

[CleanSump]

I had coworkers that called everything Windows. It was really frustrating when they couldn't understand that PowerPoint and Excel are not "Windows". Yes, you open it in a window, but it is not your operating system named Windows. Aarrrghhh.

 

[jcy]

in this thread biting their collective tongues

 

[Elkins45]

You can still buy a standalone version of Office that has Word, PowerPoint and Excel, at least for Mac. That’s what I did rather than the subscription model because I don’t need to use Teams or Outlook

 

[Capt W]

You can buy a legit licensed copy of Office 19 Professional Plus through Groupon for 10 bucks. Lifetime license.

Office Pro 21 with lifetime license is $34.97 on Stack Social.

https://www.stacksocial.com/

 

[rijndael]

Groupon scams for Office licenses are real. Groupon doesn’t vet the deals.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I pay $99 a year for my wife to have O365. She has that at work, and for some going back and forth is a pain. Libra will do everything, but everything is not in the same place.

OTOH I use Libra Office myself, even though I could have 0365 - for $99 you get I think 5 seats?

Umm… are you sure her work O365 is only single authorization? My work uses O365 as well, and if you get into the settings online, you can see if additional authorizations exist with the volume license she’s got from work.

My work license includes up to 5 additional PCs on the single license, but they are all required to follow the corporate policies for O365… but I get to use it free on my desktop yet still be able to access work docs via MFA thru Authenticator.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Umm… are you sure her work O365 is only single authorization? My work uses O365 as well, and if you get into the settings online, you can see if additional authorizations exist with the volume license she’s got from work.

My work license includes up to 5 additional PCs on the single license, but they are all required to follow the corporate policies for O365… but I get to use it free on my desktop yet still be able to access work docs via MFA thru Authenticator.

It very well could be, but its the public school district and I wouldn't take anything from them if they offered. They already demand she load there apps on her phone that require location services enabled. I would have told them to take a long walk on a short dock long ago.

I did log in and its $130 year now - and it does give 6 seats - the seat holder + 5 others.

 

[CKN]

It very well could be, but its the public school district and I wouldn't take anything from them if they offered. They already demand she load there apps on her phone that require location services enabled. I would have told them to take a long walk on a short dock long ago.

I did log in and its $130 year now - and it does give 6 seats - the seat holder + 5 others.

There are thousands of APPs that require location services. Just about any food place requires them-like McDonalds. You are not going to get that "buy one Big Mac get another for a dollar" without the location services....

 

[awguy]

I’ve been using Apache Open Office at least 10-15 years. Open sourced software.

Free

 

[SC Maintenance]

There are thousands of APPs that require location services. Just about any food place requires them-like McDonalds. You are not going to get that "buy one Big Mac get another for a dollar" without the location services....

So? The point being if her crappy employer demands she loads apps on a smart phone and enables locations services, they should provide the phone. My employer does.

BTW that info is compiled and sold to all kinds of places, like LexisNexis - the people that manage your insurance risk profile. You may not care - but its worth knowing. https://risk.lexisnexis.com/products/accurint-trax

 

[CKN]

So? The point being if her crappy employer demands she loads apps on a smart phone and enables locations services, they should provide the phone. My employer does.

BTW that info is compiled and sold to all kinds of places, like LexisNexis - the people that manage your insurance risk profile. You may not care - but its worth knowing. https://risk.lexisnexis.com/products/accurint-trax

IF you have a cell phone-you zero have privacy-with or without APPS.
And yes-I don't care-and I was previously aware of what you pointed out.
But thanks for the link anyways.