Microsoft begins phasing out Office Starter 2010

Microsoft will discontinue Office Starter 2010 and partner PCs will no longer be supplied as standard with the free office package in the run-up to Windows 8. It is likely that Windows 8 systems will include Office Web Apps.

The phasing out of Office Starter 2010 has been confirmed by Microsoft to ZDNet. “When Windows 8 is available, most new PCs will not include Office Starter. People who use Office Starter 2010 can continue to do so for as long as they use their system. Who wants to update their system with Windows 7 and Office Starter 2010 to Windows 8 , must install an update for Office 2010,” the statement from Microsoft reads.

Last week, partners from Microsoft received an Office 2010 transition package, which includes Office Starter from the opk or oem preinstallation kit. System manufacturers use these packages if they have agreed to pre-install certain Microsoft software upon delivery. Office Starter 2010 is a bundle of Word and Excel that users can use for free, but they will see advertisements. Microsoft hoped consumers would update to the full version.

Microsoft will probably deliver a modified opk with Office Web Apps to Windows 8 systems of OEM partners. Microsoft has reportedly overhauled the web version of the office suite with Office 13. The suite, codenamed Office 15, is likely to be available in beta this summer.