Microsoft converts Office 2019 for Mac perpetual licenses to read-only versions

https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Microsoft_Office_2019_and_2021_for_Mac_view-only_conversion_(2026)

cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1162140/microsoft-revokes-office-2019-perpetual-licenses-then-edits-their-website-to-gaslight-cu

Hacker News

155 points · 19 comments · view on lemmy.world

19 Comments

NotAnArdvark@lemmy.ca · 43 pts · 82d

Microsoft directs affected users to three options: [...] or paying for a Microsoft 365 subscription or a new perpetual Office Home 2024 license.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and I must be a Microsoft customer.

FrostyPolicy@suppo.fi · 42 pts · 82d (2 replies)

The only reasonable option here is to switch to LibreOffice or some other FOSS product.

ripcord@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 81d

EuroOffice

coolfission@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 81d

Or Euro-office once that comes out

muhyb@programming.dev · 36 pts · 82d (2 replies)

They cannot do that, it's a lawsuit magnet.

01189998819991197253@infosec.pub · 13 pts · 81d (1 reply)

They can, they have, and they will continue. A $20 million US lawsuit fine is just the cost of doing business to them. Barely a rounding error.

muhyb@programming.dev · 14 pts · 81d

That's just sad:

Akasazh@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 82d (3 replies)

Their charm offensive is full steam ahead,I see.

I think it's great what they do for the Linux and Foss scene

dan1101@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 82d (1 reply)

They think they are too big to fail.

01189998819991197253@infosec.pub · 7 pts · 81d

You know who else was too big to fail? The Roman Empire. Let's check in to see how they're doing these days...

Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 81d

It’s like Trump and Operation Epstein Fury turbo charging the move to renewables.

victorz@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 82d (1 reply)

Not sure they understand the meaning of the word "perpetual". 💀

pdxfed@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 81d

They met with telecom companies and heard about "unlimited"

flameleaf@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 81d (1 reply)

Getting sick of all these Windows updates scheduled remote degradations

Bloefz@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 81d

It's not Windows but I know what you mean. And totally agree.

SleeplessCityLights@programming.dev · 12 pts · 81d (2 replies)

When I sold customers office a couple years ago. I would give them two options, you can go with MS365( or what ever bullshit they call it now) and pay the yearly subscription to always have the newest product. Or you could buy perpetuals and hope they don't start sunsetting perpetuals faster than they did back then. They have always made perpetuals unusable after 6+ years through one mechanism or another.

ms_lane@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 81d (1 reply)

Always

Office 2003 still works just fine friend.

SleeplessCityLights@programming.dev · 3 pts · 81d

I actually have never had to deal with office 2003 in a professional capacity, so I could not tell you. From what I remember the word processor always worked, it was Outlook that did not work eventually. After end of life they don't add new auth methods to the old software. Running Office 2013 and Outlook 2021 side by side was a disaster.

Is that office 2003 works on my system? Or Office 2003 at 3 different customers with an endless variety of hardware and OS combinations, mostly works?

betanumerus@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 82d
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mesamunefire@piefed.social · 3 pts · 81d