I suppose there is some minor chance that this specific deal is different, but I have purchased Office 2019 & now 2021 through either this or a similar offer (I bought Office 2021 through an Apple Insider deal a few moths ago for the same price, so I suspect that it's the exact same deal, but don't know for sure). In both cases, I was able to install it on a new machine, but you can only have it on one machine at a time. So if you do move to a newer Mac, you lose access on the older Mac, but you can keep using this version indefinitely.
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Office 365 app store or directly from Microsoft ?
- Thread starter Dr. McKay
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The App Store version updates with Apple App Store and not Microsoft’s crappy third party updater.
Why is Microsoft AutoUpdate crap? Have you had a bad experience with it?
Also thinking about going MAS (Mac App Store) vs. MAU and pkg download.
But the other apps (MS Edge etc.) also use MAU. ?♂️
It needs to update itself, and it pops up in the foreground rather than just seamlessly updating like the app store versions do.
It hasn't been a problem per-se, but it offers nothing that the App store does not, and it pops up and annoyed me.
Also, the less un-sanitized microsoft software on my mac, the better. Anything from the app store is sand-boxed, vetted by Apple, etc. If you install the non-app store versions, you've basically given Microsoft's crap-ware free reign on your system.
Hi,
I thought, that the foreground updater is gone since a few versions?
And also MS says, that all their apps are sandboxed even when downloaded via their CDN and PKG installer?
Indeed, the apps are sandboxed even when installed directly from Microsoft. The unfortunate side effect of this is that there are a lot of common files in each of the apps, such as fonts, which are duplicated in every app bundle.
ok. So there is no difference between the two ways to install it.
But sounds that you prefer the MAS Version?
The App Store version means you don’t have to have the ****** Microsoft updater app running constantly as a Launch Daemon.
But it’s the only way to access the other stream releases (effectively the beta and alpha testing versions of Office).
Plus, I strongly suspect (but haven’t checked) that Microsoft will release the latest releases via its own updater, and then take their sweet time updating the Mac App Store.
Orice 365 on the Mac is still at the stage where key features are being added everyday, so getting the latest release can actually be important.
Incidentally, people saying that you can get a lifetime purchase for a cheap price… At its best this will be the non-cloud version of Office (and did Microsoft say this is the last year they’ll be making non-cloud releases?).
So you won’t be able to share files with others via OneDrive (unless you pay for that separately), and you get limited updates (usually 12 months). To me, cloud docs is the whole reason to use Office. If I didn’t need that I’d just use Libre Office or Pages/Numbers/Keynote.
And in some cases these cheap versions of office are actually some dude selling a seat on a site license. These work but obviously if the dude moves on then his site license stops working. And if Microsoft finds out they turn it all off anyway. I’ve had a few friends burned by this.
But it’s the only way to access the other stream releases (effectively the beta and alpha testing versions of Office).
Plus, I strongly suspect (but haven’t checked) that Microsoft will release the latest releases via its own updater, and then take their sweet time updating the Mac App Store.
Orice 365 on the Mac is still at the stage where key features are being added everyday, so getting the latest release can actually be important.
Incidentally, people saying that you can get a lifetime purchase for a cheap price… At its best this will be the non-cloud version of Office (and did Microsoft say this is the last year they’ll be making non-cloud releases?).
So you won’t be able to share files with others via OneDrive (unless you pay for that separately), and you get limited updates (usually 12 months). To me, cloud docs is the whole reason to use Office. If I didn’t need that I’d just use Libre Office or Pages/Numbers/Keynote.
And in some cases these cheap versions of office are actually some dude selling a seat on a site license. These work but obviously if the dude moves on then his site license stops working. And if Microsoft finds out they turn it all off anyway. I’ve had a few friends burned by this.
So you’re using the MAS Version of office, or do you live with the Updater app?
I use the one with the Microsoft updater. It pops up around once a month, out of nowhere, telling me to quit all the apps so they can be updated. And often it spends a lot of time updating itself. I wish I’d gone for the Mac App Store versions but it’s too late and I can’t be bothered changing it now.
I thought the popup isn’t there anymore?
That’s really annoying. But why not going to MAS version?
I’ve used both. First Ms version then App Store version.
This. So much this. I went App Store version with the new mac and never have to see or deal with this again.
If Microsoft have fixed that, yay for them. I switched to the App Store version 2 years ago and have been much happier.
How I took total control over Microsoft AutoUpdate
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/release-history-microsoft-autoupdate
Disable/limit telemetry
Stop/manage update schedule, settings for manual
Alias (shortcut to MAU) placed in Applications
Documentation:
Use preferences to manage privacy controls for Office for Mac https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/privacy/mac-privacy-preferences
Network requests in Office for Mac https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/network-requests-in-office-2016-for-mac
A launchd Tutorial https://launchd.info
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/release-history-microsoft-autoupdate
Disable/limit telemetry
Code:
defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate2 'AcknowledgedDataCollectionPolicy' -string RequiredDataOnly
defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate2 'MAUFeedbackEnabled' -bool FALSE
defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate2 'SendAllTelemetryEnabled' -bool FALSE
defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate.fba 'SendAllTelemetryEnabled' -bool FALSEStop/manage update schedule, settings for manual
Code:
defaults write com.microsoft.autoupdate2 'HowToCheck' -string Manual
sudo defaults write /Library/LaunchAgents/com.microsoft.update.agent.plist Disabled -bool YES
sudo defaults write /Library/LaunchAgents/com.microsoft.update.agent.plist StartInterval 2678400
sudo defaults write /Library/LaunchAgents/com.microsoft.update.agent.plist RunAtLoad -bool NO
sudo chmod 644 /Library/LaunchAgents/com.microsoft.update.agent.plistAlias (shortcut to MAU) placed in Applications
Code:
ln -s /Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/Microsoft\ AutoUpdate.app /Applications/Microsoft\ AutoUpdateDocumentation:
Use preferences to manage privacy controls for Office for Mac https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/privacy/mac-privacy-preferences
Network requests in Office for Mac https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/network-requests-in-office-2016-for-mac
A launchd Tutorial https://launchd.info
Odd, we have an Office 365 subscription, and it updates apps in the background. I know when it’s updated an app because the next time I open it, I get the “verifying” dialog for 5 seconds or so.
One major difference is that, if your organisation uses a volume licence for the Office apps, the App Store apps do not work with them. You have to licence the apps by signing-in to a Microsoft account with entitlements to the apps.
I find this really surprising. Whenever you start an Office 365 app without a subscription it asks you to sign in to authorise it (or work read-only). If you sign in with an enterprise email address then it takes you to a separate login page – but it’s still the same procedure as mom and pop might use with their aol.com email address.
What exactly happens if you try to login to the Mac App Store version of the app with a enterprise/volume licensing email?
Not with an email, but a volume licence file. These are still available to organisations who pay for a volume licence as they want users to not have to sign-in (think a shared iMac lab environment). The licence file is distributed to the Mac and allow the apps to fully operate. You cannot use the licence file on the App Store apps, you have to sign-in with an M365 account.
Okay I understand. From a quick Google it appears the difference here is down to per-device licensing, and per-user licensing. Only that latter allows access to Office 365.
So, I’d say the rule of thumb is that if your employer provides with an email login for the office apps (and I think most do) then you’re okay to go with the Mac App Store version.
(In other words, this isn’t an issue relating to volume licensing. It relates to per-device or per-user licensing.)
Exactly. It’s literally just the physical volume licence file that’d have no effect on the App Store versions.