Updates? Outlook, etc.

[CalypsoViolet]

I have Outlook 2003, and obviously there is an update. When I check there
are no updates for it. However, I saw a post regarding outlook 2007! Where
do I get the update/upgrade? Do I have to buy it??

Also, I have Microsoft Works (not Office) Suite 2004 which includes
Microsoft Works 7.0, Microsoft Word 2002, Microsoft Works Clipart, Microsoft
Money 2004 Standard, Microsoft Streets & Tips 2004 & Microsoft Pocket Streets
for Pocket PC. It also includes Microsoft Picture It Photo Premium 9 and
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Standard 2004.

My questions are:

1. How to I update all this software. Do I have to purchase a whole new
product that includes the same software?

2. Can I update/upgrade to the latest versions of Outlook and Word or do I
have to purchase new software?

I've spent enough time trying to find this information by following numerous
links w/i Microsoft, and have had enough! I am a home user, not a technical
wizard, and it seems to me it should be easier for someone like me to get
answers w/o having to spend $35.00 just to ask a few simple questions that
could probably be answered in 5-10 minutes instead of spending more than an
hour attempting to navigate the maze that is microsoft.com "help & support".

 

[Patrick Schmid]

Outlook 2007 is currently in beta. As such, you can get it (and the rest
of Office 2007) without cost (ok, a nominal download fee of $1.50) for
now, but it will stop working on March 31, 2007.
Since the release of B2TR on Thursday, Office 2007 has been rather
stable and is now more recommendable than it used to be before.
Nonetheless, it is still beta and has its quirks. If you are willing to
deal with potential crashes, data loss, minor and major annoyances, then
go for it.
However, once it expires, you'll have to pay several hundreds of dollars
to keep using it.
In general by the way, you get service packs and patches for free.
However, to update your software to never versions, you'll have to pay.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Brian Tillman]

I have Outlook 2003, and obviously there is an update. When I check
there are no updates for it. However, I saw a post regarding outlook
2007! Where do I get the update/upgrade? Do I have to buy it??

Patrick dealt with this.

Also, I have Microsoft Works (not Office) Suite 2004 which includes
Microsoft Works 7.0, Microsoft Word 2002, Microsoft Works Clipart,
Microsoft Money 2004 Standard, Microsoft Streets & Tips 2004 &
Microsoft Pocket Streets for Pocket PC. It also includes Microsoft
Picture It Photo Premium 9 and Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia
Standard 2004.

My questions are:

1. How to I update all this software. Do I have to purchase a whole
new product that includes the same software?

Works and Office are, of course, different suites of applications and the
one has nothing to do with the other. TYpically, Microsoft issues new
versions of both Works and Office periodically. The current version of
Works, for example, is Works Suite 2006. It still contains Word 2002, but
includes Works V8, Money Standard 2006, Digital Image Standard 2006, Encarta
Standard 2006, and Streets and Trips 2006. So, if you want updates to the
programs in Works Suite, you'll have to purchange a new license. Usually,
Microsoft has a full license and an update license, the latter requiring
that you own a prior version of the package.

2. Can I update/upgrade to the latest versions of Outlook and Word
or do I have to purchase new software?

You always have to buy a new license in order to upgrade.

 

[Pat Willener]

The difference between
- Update(s): updates the current product to the latest patch or service
level;
- Upgrade: upgrades the product to a new version (e.g. from 2003 to 2007).

To obtain updates to your Office product(s) simply go to
http://update.microsoft.com/ or http://office.microsoft.com/