Microsoft to charge for office subscription on phone in 2016! Bait and Switch

[gerryf19]

I continue to be...surprised. Windows sold a phone with office on it. It is free to use. After the fact, Microsoft is going to charge you differently because of the way you use it.

This is not unlike Comcast or a cable provider charging you $X for internet, but $X+Y if you download netflix.

How will people feel if Microsoft decides to start metering your phone use if you use it for data versus phone calls? Texting? That will be $30 more this month or we will turn it off.

 

[StaticXCC]

I continue to be...surprised. Windows sold a phone with office on it. It is free to use. After the fact, Microsoft is going to charge you differently because of the way you use it.

This is not unlike Comcast or a cable provider charging you $X for internet, but $X+Y if you download netflix.

How will people feel if Microsoft decides to start metering your phone use if you use it for data versus phone calls? Texting? That will be $30 more this month or we will turn it off.

This is why I am always curious why people ****** over Microsoft and give it free goodwill. Microsoft in the past has been punished over bad behavior... Maybe the younger generation just don't really know about their past transgressions or haven't been bitten enough yet. You would think their attempt at bait and switch for OneDrive would have been an eye opener... nope. They only relented after outcry.

 

[jlangner]

Well, color me surprised. The outright acceptance of this reminds me of Kevin Bacon in Animal house. ("thankyou sir may I have another"). The deal was office is free on devices with a screen under 10 inches. My connecting a device with a small screen to an external monitor does not change the size of the screen on my device. Now were going to talk about "mobile use" ...where did they mention that? Where were the announcements that office works on your phone, but not when hooked up to contiuum? Microsoft had 3 months to clarify this, but they didn't. Windows phone needs every single plus it can get to build a user base. This is nit how you do it. I can hook my iPad to a tv and use pages, numbers, etc with a Bluetooth keyboard...does apple charge me more? The office with mobile is not the full fledged office that people are using on 365. I bought windows phone so that if I needed to in an pinch I can use my phone. It's not worth a subscription when I already have a full version of office on my pc.

I don't know what version Office you have on desktop but to me sub is better deal. I can install on my desktop, surface pro 3, my sons laptop to use in college and our windows phones...always have the latest version and just $9.95/month and on up to 5 computers...to me that is a damn good deal.

 

[gerryf19]

I don't know what version Office you have on desktop but to me sub is better deal. I can install on my desktop, surface pro 3, my sons laptop to use in college and our windows phones...always have the latest version and just $9.95/month and on up to 5 computers...to me that is a damn good deal.

I see you have never had a cable tv contract---wait until next month.

I'm glad that the subscription works for you. I refer to buy my software. Even with a purchase, your use has been continuously restricted in the last 20 years.

Time was, you could buy a copy of office and do as you wish. Then it was install on three devices, Then install it on a PC and portable device. Then only one device. Now, with the ways laws are being written you don't even own the software you buy.

Now take the subscription process. Sounds like a good deal for you, but is there anything in Microsoft's history that leads you to believe that your current deal is likely to continue?

How many GBs of data do you have one OneDrive now? What did you have last week?

5 Computers for office 365? You know, our bottom line is getting a little thin. Lets make that 3 computers on Tuesday.

Wait a second, you are going to be using your computer to send group emails? That will be an extra $4. Two email accounts? Are you crazy? $6 extra. Oh, and we don't like google, so no gmail for you from outlook.

Subscription services are a bad idea.

 

[rdubmu]

Returning my 950 XL. This is one of the reasons, another reason is the quality of the apps, for example the Facebook app always goes into mobile on the edge browser when clicking on links. Most of the time it says the link can not be displayed. I don't have this issue on iOS. Thou I do subscribe to office 365, and I find it is worth it, I don't like how they make office better on other platforms, and free.

This is a classic bait and switch fraud.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Right. Microsoft are the ones who made a big deal about providing free office, then they add the complication of having to know which size screen you have to be able to edit.

I have and will always have Office365 so this doesn't matter to me BUT maybe someone can explain to me just how a phone using continuum knows the physical dimensions of the screen that's connected. It would seem to me that if the free office stopped working over Continuum when connected to a 10" screen it would be in violation of the policy of not charging for small screen sizes AND if the device can't tell the physical size of the attached monitor it might not be legal to prevent Office from working with the current wording. I believe some/most devices today do make the model name available to systems they are attached to so its POSSIBLE Microsoft could do some sort of diagonal measurement lookup based on the device name for those devices.

 

[Harrie-S]

Indeed you have a point and it should be possible and maybe MS already knows how to do it or even already does. But how many people have < 10 inch monitor with the proper connections to be useful as continuum device for office.

 

[editguy]

So, apparently many people think Microsoft is a charity and should be giving away everything. Free Windows 10. Check. Free upgrade to Windows 10 mobile. Check. You do realize that Microsoft has to monetize something? Office revenue makes it possible for them to provide those other things to us for free, so I have no complaints about Office and neither should any of you. It's still free to use when it's just being used on the phone.
Also, some of you should look up the definition of bait and switch because you clearly don't know what it is.

 

[elindalyne]

They announced that anything over 10'' was going cost money back in March... You have no leg to stand on in this argument.

 

[Ian_Superfly]

I am puzzled by the ignorance many people have about business and economics. News flash: People and companies need to be paid. It isn't magic. Everything can't be free. What kind of person asks for charity? If businesses and app developers could make good money on Windows Phone apps, no matter how many phones were sold, they would flock to the platform. Simple economics. Isn't crying "I want it to be free or I'll go home." childish.
- Rant over. Thank you for reading.

Best Wishes.

So you think MS will be successful selling phones without giving anything that the competition can't offer? You believe W10M without A LOT extra will be able to lure people to ditch their android/ios apps and go for W10M?

 

[Ian_Superfly]

So, apparently many people think Microsoft is a charity and should be giving away everything. Free Windows 10. Check. Free upgrade to Windows 10 mobile. Check. You do realize that Microsoft has to monetize something? Office revenue makes it possible for them to provide those other things to us for free, so I have no complaints about Office and neither should any of you. It's still free to use when it's just being used on the phone.
Also, some of you should look up the definition of bait and switch because you clearly don't know what it is.

They will not make much money on phones if they don't sell any...

 

[mijacs]

Can someone tell me if a 9-10" device displays office in the mobile fashion or in the continuum fashion? If it is the latter then this seems very silly. Since you can just mirror the display. If it is the former then it would be nice to edit in the mobile ui.

 

[Ten Four]

The problem with this is the average purchaser in an AT&T store will not be told they have to purchase Office 365 to make Continuum work properly. Obviously, MS is doing everything possible to push Office 365 on as many people as possible, but I think they are going about this in the wrong manner. There should at least be a one-year trial period of Office 365 included along with at least a one-year trial of 30GB or so of One Drive. Obscuring the fact that major phone features are basically crippled unless you purchase auxiliary subscriptions is a sure way to PO customers. I just hope that people learn these things within the 30-day money back guarantee period, or they will be seriously ticked off. The other thing is that pushing Office 365 to average consumers is just stupid--it is way overkill for the average person, and will simply drive them away from MS. Maybe the intention is to begin only catering to the enterprise market.

 

[bilemke]

So you think MS will be successful selling phones without giving anything that the competition can't offer? You believe W10M without A LOT extra will be able to lure people to ditch their android/ios apps and go for W10M?

So, apparently many people think Microsoft is a charity and should be giving away everything. Free Windows 10. Check. Free upgrade to Windows 10 mobile. Check. You do realize that Microsoft has to monetize something? Office revenue makes it possible for them to provide those other things to us for free, so I have no complaints about Office and neither should any of you. It's still free to use when it's just being used on the phone.
Also, some of you should look up the definition of bait and switch because you clearly don't know what it is.

Although I am one of the first to promote the purchase of Microsoft product vs open source in some cases as it is all to common to see lack of continuing support fro a open source solution (which I keep referencing as implied "free" of cost) fade away and the product die cause no one ends up maintaining it, this thread is about a product included for free with hardware. Much like when people buy Windows with a piece of hardware (oem license). A quick note, Windows 10 is not free. Windows 10 upgrades fro ma previous license of Windows are free. If you were to buy/build a new machine you would need to buy a new Windows 10 license. If you buy a new computer (notebook/tablet/desktop/etc) from an OEM, you may (not guaranteed of course, but highly likely) be getting a new computer with a new Windows 10 license included in the cost (oem license).

Here we have a number of people, group if you want to call them that and include me at this point, that is used to getting these Office apps with an ability to use them in perpetuity. Be it older phones purchased with some form of Windows Phone 8.x plus Office apps (phone came with the apps, phone was paid for, Windows/apps is oem license) or our newer Windows 10 based Lumia 950/950XL's and the 550/others to come.

@All, always possible there will be exceptions. Perhaps no free Excel/Word/Powerpoint/etc for only the lower end phones ($100-200 unlocked/off-contract range) but still free on the higher end $600+ range devices. (I say this as I am still considering the return of my unlocked 950 XL, partially cause of things like Office but mostly recent experiences with MicrosoftStore.com customer service being less than ideal).

 

[snakebitten]

In a remarkably short period of time (less than 30 days), Continuum via the 950(XL) has gone from the vast majority of comments being similar to "It doesn't apply to me", or "I'll never use it. It's stupid. Am I going to carry around an extra monitor?"...............................

to now folks apparently all intending to do their Excel Spreadsheet editing via Continuum.

I ain't buying it. In fact, I think the vast majority of folks that really WILL actually be using Continuum to be "productive like a boss", already have licensed Office 365. (Or certainly will choose to)

Notice I make no claim to the fairness or not of this policy. I am only implying that most of the gnashing of teeth isn't by people who are going to use Continuum for this anyway. Instead, it's just some stance on some principle. (Which I admittedly don't share)

 

[Krystianpants]

Lol love the entitlement some people have.

It's free for quite a while, enjoy it while it's free and if you find it helps you then buy it and then you can use it on all your devices.

It says so right in the footnotes on their website and it always had said that when you chose to buy these phones. I was quite aware of it, not sure why nobody else was.

[3] App availability and experience varies by device and market. Some apps and content sold separately. Microsoft account and Wi-Fi or data connection required for some features; carrier fees apply. Screen simulated; appearance will vary. Office 365 subscription required for some Office features. E

 

[ferretzombie]

I understand that they are having office on continuum conform to their standard pricing model for Office, but I think if they left it free, then it would have done a lot to help draw people to Windows Phone.

 

[snakebitten]

I get your point. But if using Office via Continuum is appealing enough to a potential customer, they WILL "be drawn to Windows 10 mobile"

 

[StevoPhilo]

I understand that they are having office on continuum conform to their standard pricing model for Office, but I think if they left it free, then it would have done a lot to help draw people to Windows Phone.

Let me start by saying I have a Microsoft 365 Subscription. I however agree with the outcries and what ferret has said.

Why does Microsoft insist on doing things the way they do.

Well we have this cool new feature, but wait you need to buy that dock!!! Oh did I mention that the dock could be free if you purchase the Lumia 950XL and go through this app. Oh the app isn't working for you? Try resetting and then do it! Oh it has been reset and it's now back ordered? So now that I may finally have my continuum dock I need a subscription.

It's very hard to showcase and draw people into this ecosystem when their experience or info is given in the way that they've done above. Anyone who doesn't hangout or follow these forums/Microsoft have no idea on these details.

 

[mijacs]

I ain't buying it. In fact, I think the vast majority of folks that really WILL actually be using Continuum to be "productive like a boss", already have licensed Office 365. (Or certainly will choose to)

In general, I agree. I don't expect to use it much and I have a licensed version of desktop office (which for me is cheaper than office 365). I was disappointed to learn that I cannot use the continuum version so I will most likely just mirror my display instead or possibly use the web apps if they work decently.

I mostly find it weird because it is the same interface if you used a 9" tablet instead. Then hook up a keyboard, mouse and external screen via mirroring and then you have free office. At least as far as I know you don't gain any extra features with continuum, it just changes the interface to be more mouse and keyboard friendly.