Microsoft Works 9 to be free and advertising-supported

Filed under: Windows, Office, Microsoft, Freeware

Microsoft Works 9 to be free and advertising-supported

by Brad Linder Jul 30th 2007

If you bought a cheap PC that didn't come with Microsoft Office preinstalled, or at least MS Word, you may have gotten a free copy of Microsoft Works. It's always been sort of an ironic name for a product, because it just barely works. Sure, if all you need is a basic spreadsheet, calendar, or word processor, MS Works will do. But since it can't handle most MS Office documents, Works is barely worth the $50 you'd have to pay if you actually went out and bought a copy.

All of which is to say we have mixed feelings when we hear that Microsoft plans to launch the next version of Works as free, advertising supported software. ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley got the scoop on the new product from Microsoft V.P. Satya Nadella, but nobody else from the company has confirmed the details.

On the one hand, it's great to see Microsoft exploring ways to raise revenue without charging consumers an arm and a leg. On the other hand, a number of other companies have released free MS Office competitors such as OpenOffice.org, Google Docs & Spreadsheets, and Zoho. Releasing Works, a stripped down version of Office hardly seems like the way to compete.

Tags: microsoft works, MicrosoftWorks, ms works, MsWorks

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

johnny said 10:47PM on 7-30-2007

I have MS Works v8.5 and the only thing I use on it, is the word processor. I really don’t have much use for the rest of the stuff it has. I guess it would be great for novice computer users.

But as a Free software with ads? It may just work. But I doubt no one will pay $50.00 for something like this. It’s kind of useless. Well for me it is. But it came with my computer. So when in Rome?

I am sure there are better word processor’s out there. But it suits my needs well.

Mark said 10:47PM on 7-30-2007

You're going to be telling MS how to compete in the productivity suite area? Funny that...

Jamus said 10:47PM on 7-30-2007

Would somebody puh-leeeeze put a stake in this thing's heart? Why won't Works die off like a good little disgustingly bad app? The millions of bucks being pumped into it by Redmond so Dell and others like them can claim it on the list of "included software".

Maybe not at the top, but def in the top 5 of my most hated apps/suites.

Brad Linder said 10:50PM on 7-30-2007

Mark: It's not a question of being competitive so much as staying competitive. Microsoft Office is still the top office suite around. But Works has never been very useful. And if open source and web-based applications are targeting Office, it doesn't make much sense to release Works for free unless you also make it a more useful product.

Marc Cohen said 9:58AM on 7-31-2007

I definitely am behind the idea of ad-supported products. Google Docs is not ad-supported and given the choice people prefer freed without ads. Of course, maybe Google Docs will eventually have ads.

I think Microsoft has much more potential with ad-supported free music downloads.

Check out the Ad-Supported Music Central blog:
http://ad-supported-music.blogspot.com/

aditya said 8:06AM on 8-22-2007

I want ms works

nyshia said 11:00AM on 9-24-2007

nyshia rocks.

Steweden said 1:27AM on 11-27-2007

What becomes more and more (at least in Sweden) is that you don't get any discs at all when you buy a PC. What you get is already installed, and if your computer crash you have no discs with Windows and other programs.

So..... I didn't get MS Works at all when I bought my PC in Dec 2006. I like the MS Works word processor, because it's fast and easy to use when you only want to copy an article you're writing at Wikipedia or something similar. But I agree with Johnny above: I really don’t have much use for the rest of the stuff MS Works has.

I don't know if I can trust Microsofts software. I bought an "Office Home and Student 2007", and now my computer has crashed 4 times, only a few days after installation. A friend tried this "Office hem- och studentutgåva 2007", as it's called in Sweden and his PC crashed too. I have payed €200 for the software and €450 for computer repair. I want my money back, but don't know what to do.

Steweden 27-oktober-2007

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