Microsoft Bids Adieu to Office Starter 2010

Microsoft Bids Adieu to Office Starter 2010

When it released Office 2010 a couple of years back, Microsoft also introduced an ad-supported, no-frills Starter edition for bundling with OEM machines in the hope that a significant number of Starter edition users would eventually opt for a paid version. But the Redmond-based company, which owes a sizable chunk of its revenue to the hugely popular productivity suite, does not seem too pleased with the results so far, as it has left out Office Starter 2010 from the latest Office 2010 OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK).

Released this week, the Office 2010 Transition OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) is meant to replace all prior versions of the Office 2010 OPK and Microsoft recommends OEMs use it for Office preinstallation on all new Windows 7 PCs.

“The Office 2010 Transition OPK does not contain Office Starter 2010,” states the page dedicated to the Office OPK tool. “The Office 2010 Transition OPK will be required on all Microsoft Windows 8 PC builds. OPK versions prior to the Office 2010 Transition OPK installed on Windows 8 PCs may create a bad user experience for Office Starter 2010.”

Does this signal the end of the road for Office Starter edition or will it make a comeback with the next version of the Office suite codenamed Office 15? Well, this is what Microsoft told ZDNet’s Mary-Jo Foley: “We will begin to phase out the shipment of PCs with Office Starter 2010. After Windows 8 becomes available, most new PCs shipped will not have Office Starter. People who use Office Starter 2010 today will continue to be able to use the product for the life of their PC. For Windows7/Office Starter 2010 users who want to upgrade their PC to Windows 8 and continue using Office Starter 2010, they will have to install an update to Microsoft Office 2010 which is available today.”

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