Microsoft Office 2024 Released for Macs and PCs

Microsoft has announced the release of a new version of Office designed for those who prefer not to subscribe to Microsoft 365. The standalone Microsoft Office 2024 is now available for consumers and small businesses, including versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook for both Mac and PC.

This new release encompasses the updates that have been gradually introduced to Microsoft 365 subscribers over recent years. With the last standalone Office version released in 2021, Office 2024 incorporates improvements to the core applications, alongside enhancements in accessibility and user interface.

Microsoft Office 2024 features a new default theme following the latest Fluent Design principles, in line with the visual changes of Windows 11. Accessibility improvements have also been made to assist users in identifying potential accessibility issues in documents, slideshows, workbooks, and emails.

Significant updates can be observed in Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Excel 2024 includes new functions for text and arrays in worksheets, a new IMAGE function for pulling pictures from the web, and the capability to reference Dynamic Arrays in charts. Microsoft has also stated that the overall speed and stability of Excel 2024 have been enhanced.

In PowerPoint, a new cameo feature allows users to insert a live camera feed into slides. Additionally, a recording studio feature has been introduced for narration, animations, transitions, and inking, along with the ability to add closed captions or subtitles to videos and audio files, thereby enhancing accessibility.

Outlook 2024 boasts improvements to search functionality providing more relevant results for messages, attachments, contacts, and calendar entries. Additionally, new meeting options include the ability to shorten them automatically. Mac users will have the option to customize swipe gestures in Outlook.

In Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, users can now insert pictures easily from an Android device, and support has been added for version 1.4 of the OpenDocument format (ODF). Word and PowerPoint now include the capability to like and react to comments in documents.

Word 2024 includes an improved file recovery feature; if a PC crashes, Word will automatically reopen documents that were open before the crash. OneNote 2024 offers users a new inking and drawing experience.

Office 2024 will necessitate a Microsoft account and an internet connection for installation, activation, and security updates. It will be compatible with Windows 10 and 11, as well as the three latest versions of macOS.

The new Office suite will be available in two editions. Office Home 2024, priced at $149.99, offers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for either PC or Mac. For those needing Outlook and the ability to use the apps for commercial purposes, the Office Home and Business 2024 edition is priced at $249.99.

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