by 
A new subscription option called Office 365 Personal has been announced by Microsoft for its Office 365 service and while it is cheaper, it may not have the features you need. The biggest difference is that you can only use the apps on one computer and tablet, which is reduced from the 5 of the full service. Those who are going to benefit from this are those of you who only need it for yourself on a single device.
I have a Mac Book Pro, 2 Mac Minis, 2 iPads, and an iPhone, which means that the new lower priced subscription just wont work for me. Even though I am the primary user of Office, I would have to pick a single device to install it on and make sure it is available when I need it. The truth is that the lower price is only marginally cheaper when added together for a full year, at $69.99 vs. $99.99.
Both services include 20 GB of extra online storage and 60 world minutes of calling through Skype. While I understand the inclusion of storage in the cloud, I do not understand why 60 minutes of calling are included. It feels forced and perhaps if that wasn’t there the prices could be lowered significantly.
Based on the included chart from the Office blog, it seems that you could access your files on every computer via the online office option (which has limited functionality) but only have the full suite installed on a single computer and tablet.
For business users there is a new Office 365 Small Business Premium plan that charges either $12.50 or $15.00 per user depending on a yearly or monthly subscription. There are lots of options and none of them are in a price range that is going to entice me to switch.
» Related posts:
It’s Official: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Says Microsoft Office is Coming to iPad!
Microsoft Releases Office 365 for iPhone – Could the iPad be Next?
Leaked Screenshot and Release Date for Microsoft Office for iPad
