Microsoft has released Office 2024, the latest version in its suite of apps that includes Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. While the trend with software is to sell it on a subscription model, Microsoft offers customers the option to make a one-time purchase. Subscribers to Microsoft 365 automatically get the new version.
Office 2024 has a new look, with “a more natural and consistent experience.” The new app-specific features include:
- Excel: Faster performance, new functions to use text and arrays, an IMAGE function to add images without changing formatting, and dynamic arrays in charts that automatically update.
- OneNote: Full-screen pen-focused view to use the entire screen for inking.
- Outlook: Search improvements, the ability to automatically check emails for accessibility issues, scheduled email sends, customizable swipe left and right gestures.
- PowerPoint: Ability to embed a live camera feed into slides, a recording studio for narrations, animation, transitions, and inking.
- Word: If the app closes unexpectedly, all the open documents that were open automatically reopen upon relaunching the app.
Microsoft offers two versions of Office 2024. Office Home 2024 is $150 and includes one Mac license for the “classic” apps, which are Excel, Outlook, PwoerPoint, and Word. It does not include OneNote. The Office Home & Business 2024 suite is $250 for one Mac license and includes the classic apps as well as OneNote and it “Works with Teams.” For customers interested in buying more than a single Mac license, Microsoft offers Office LTSC 2024 volume licensing plans.
Office 2024 runs on macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, and Ventura. It requires a Microsoft account and an internet connection. The Microsoft Office blog announcing Office 2024 does not state if or when the Office apps in Apple’s App Store have been or will be updated to the just-released versions. According to the App Store, the classic apps were updated a week ago with a fix for a sign-in issue.
