Microsoft 365是基于订阅的云(cloud)服务套件。它曾经被称为Office 365，但现在包含的不仅仅是核心Office功能，似乎需要重新命名。
整个计算世界正在迅速转向SaaS（软件即服务）和软件订阅模式，而不是直接销售许可证。Microsoft 365融合了这两种开发。如果您以前没有遇到过它，它可能会带来相当多的计算文化冲击。因此，让我们放下所有这些疑虑，并准确解释Microsoft 365是什么。
云现在怎么办？
“云”是指在世界各地的数据中心运行的计算机。如果您使用Gmail或Drive等服务，那么您使用的是云。我们通过互联网访问基于云的服务。因此，例如，当您将文件复制到DropBox文件夹中时，该信息会发送到数据中心的计算机，然后由计算机为您存储。
使用基于云的软件，您根本不需要巨型计算机。大多数繁重的工作是由远程计算机完成的。您所需要的只是一个有效的互联网连接。这并不意味着您的本地计算机什么都不做！
服务的某些方面在本地运行，而其他方面在远程机器上运行。使用Google Docs等云应用程序，甚至可以在互联网中断时继续工作，并在连接恢复时同步所有内容。
Microsoft 365 如何工作？
要使用Microsoft 365，您只需注册一个Microsoft 帐户(Microsoft Account)（如果没有），然后支付月费。有各种可用的计划，我们将在下面详细介绍。
注册后，您可以从任何连接到 Internet 的浏览器访问云服务。Microsoft 365还包括可以下载到计算机并离线使用的软件。让我们更详细地看一下报价。
Microsoft 365：您会得到什么？
微软(Microsoft)正在为不同的受众提供不同的 365 包。以下是三个级别：
我们将只关注前两种类型的计划，因为如果您是阅读本文的大公司的高管，您最好直接致电Microsoft获取报价。
最便宜的选择是Microsoft 365 个人版(Personal)。这是一个单用户订阅，包括家庭层提供的所有应用程序和服务。
因此，您将获得Word、Excel、PowerPoint、OneNote、Outlook、Access和Publisher。列表中的最后两个仅在 PC 上可用。说到这，您还可以在Android(Android)和iOS上解锁完整版的Office移动应用程序。通常，如果您不是付费订阅者，这些应用程序只允许您打开文档并查看它们。
Microsoft 365 的费用是多少？
Microsoft 365有多种定价选项。我们只关注家庭和小型企业用户的公共定价。教育(Educational)和企业定价是您必须直接与Microsoft协商的内容。
此外，在我们讨论具体定价之前，请务必检查您是否已经可以免费访问Microsoft 365。许多公司都有向其员工授予Microsoft 365的站点许可证。(Microsoft 365)这(Which)也意味着您可以在您的个人计算机上使用它。如果您最近购买了或计划购买新计算机，您可能还可以获得几个月到一年的Microsoft 365访问权限。
对于那些必须以通常方式付款的人来说，有两个主要选择。您可以按相对较高的费用按月支付或按年购买。年度计划有效地为您订阅的每一年免费提供两个月。所以这不是一个主要的区别。
家庭用户有以下选择：
- Microsoft 365 个人版 –(Personal –)单用户订阅，每月 6.99 美元或每年 69.99 美元
- Microsoft 365 家庭版 -(Family –) 6 用户许可订阅，每月 9.99 美元或每年 99.99 美元
如您所见，即使您只有 2 人家庭，家庭计划也能提供最佳价值。微软(Microsoft)在分离用户子账户方面做得很好。只要主账号信誉良好，每个人都将拥有与主用户相同的体验。
商业订阅更加多样化：
- Business Basic包括云服务以及仅 Web 和移动版本的Word、Excel和PowerPoint，每位用户每月 5.00 美元。每年支付。(Paid)
- 商业(Business)标准增加了Word、Outlook、Excel、PowerPoint、Publisher和Access的桌面版本，每位用户每月 12.50 美元。每年支付。(Paid)
- Business Premium包括标准中的所有内容以及高级安全功能，每位用户每月 20.00 美元。每年支付。(Paid)
- Microsoft 365 应用程序(Apps)只有 OneDrive 和高级桌面应用程序，每位用户每月 8.25 美元。每年支付。(Paid)
除了仅限应用程序的业务订阅外，这里的主要价值是Teams、Exchange和Sharepoint服务。这些应用程序可让您与同事轻松协作。尽管Microsoft 365(Microsoft 365)的家庭版确实包含Skype，并且可以免费拨打 60 分钟的固定电话。
我还能购买 Microsoft Office(Purchase Microsoft Office)吗？
是的！微软(Microsoft)仍然提供一次性购买Office的服务。这不包括任何云服务。您也只能获得三个应用程序：Word、Excel和Powerpoint。这些也是应用程序的经典版本，没有您通过订阅模式获得的 365 云功能。
这些应用程序也只能在一台计算机上使用，因此您必须为多台计算机重复支付一次性价格。我们不建议大多数人走这条路，即使是学生。特别是因为某些面向学生的笔记本电脑可以免费提供一两年的Microsoft 365。
Microsoft 365的主要优势(Main Advantages)是什么？
那么，为什么要购买Microsoft 365而不是一次性购买Microsoft Office呢？以下是主要好处：
- 您始终拥有包含的Microsoft 应用程序的最新版本(Microsoft Apps)
- 您获得大量云存储
- 解锁(Unlock)移动Office应用的完整版本
- 与同事的协作和沟通更容易
- 您可以登录任何计算机并从上次中断的地方开始工作
如今，很少有人在泡沫中工作，这使得这种基于云的新产品成为大多数用户最明智的选择。
谁应该获得 Microsoft 365？
如果您同意按月支付费用，我们可以放心地说几乎任何人都会对Microsoft 365订阅感到满意。当您考虑家庭计划时，这是一个特别好的价值，它允许五个独立的用户在他们的计算机上加载整个Office套件并访问他们自己的 TB 级云存储。
主要的警告是，你在这种关系中是永久的。只要您需要该服务，您就需要支付费用。如果您想在无法访问 Internet 的计算机上安装生产力应用程序，则可以选择一次性购买选项。但是，对于此类用户，我们建议您省钱并选择众多免费的Microsoft Office 替代方案(Microsoft Office Alternatives)之一。
What Is Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based sυite of cloud services. It used to be known as Office 365, but now includes so much more than just the core Office functionality that it seems a rebranding was in order.
The entire world of computing is moving rapidly towards SaaS (software as a service) and subscription models for software rather than selling licenses outright. Microsoft 365 is a blend of both developments. If you haven’t encountered it before, it can come as quite a bit of computing culture shock. So let’s lay all those doubts to rest and explain exactly what Microsoft 365 is.
A Cloud What Now?
The “cloud” refers to the computers that run in data centers all over the world. If you use a service like Gmail or Drive, then you’re using the cloud. We access cloud-based services through the internet. So, for example, when you copy a file into your DropBox folder, that information is sent to a computer in a data center, which then stores it for you.
With cloud-based software you don’t need a monster computer at all. Most of the heavy lifting is done by the remote computer. All you need is a working internet connection. That doesn’t mean your local computer does nothing!
Some aspects of the service run locally and others run on the remote machine. With cloud applications such as Google Docs, it’s even possible to keep working when the internet is down, with everything syncing up when the connection is restored.
How Does Microsoft 365 It Work?
To use Microsoft 365 all you have to do is sign up for a Microsoft Account, if you don’t have one, and then pay the monthly fee. There are various plans available, which we’ll look at in more detail below.
Once you’ve signed up, you can access the cloud services from any browser that’s connected to the internet. Microsoft 365 also includes software that you can download to your computer and use offline. Let’s look at the offer in more detail.
Microsoft 365: What Do You Get?
Microsoft is offering different packages of 365 meant for different audiences. Here are the three levels:
- Home users
- Business users
- Enterprise clients
We’re only going to concentrate on the first two types of plans, since if you’re an executive from a big company reading this, you’re better off just calling Microsoft themselves for a quote.
The cheapest option is Microsoft 365 Personal. This is a single-user subscription that includes all of the apps and services the home tier offers.
So you’ll get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access and Publisher. The last two on the list are only available on PC. Speaking of which, you also get to unlock the full versions of the Office mobile apps on Android and iOS. Usually those apps only let you open documents and view them if you aren’t a paying subscriber.
What Does Microsoft 365 Cost?
There’s a variety of pricing options when it comes to Microsoft 365. We’re only going to look at the public pricing for home and small business users. Educational and enterprise pricing is something you’ll have to negotiate with Microsoft directly.
Also, before we talk about specific pricing, be sure to check whether you already have free access to Microsoft 365. Many companies have a site licence that grants Microsoft 365 to their employees. Which also means you can use it on your personal machine. If you’ve bought a new computer recently or plan to, you might also get a few months to a year of access to Microsoft 365 included.
For those who have to pay the usual way, there are two main options. You can pay monthly at a relatively higher fee or buy annually. Annual plans effectively give you two months free for every year you subscribe. So it’s not a major difference.
Home users have the following options:
- Microsoft 365 Personal – single user subscription at $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year
- Microsoft 365 Family – 6-user licence subscription at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year
As you can see, even if you’re only in a 2-person household, the family plan offers the best value. Microsoft has done a good job of separating user sub-accounts. As long as the main account is in good standing, everyone will have the same experience as the primary user.
Business subscriptions are a little more diverse:
- Business Basic includes cloud services and only web and mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint at $5.00 per user, per month. Paid annually.
- Business standard adds the desktop versions of Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access at $12.50 per user, per month. Paid annually.
- Business Premium included everything in standard, plus advanced security features for $20.00 per user, per month. Paid annually.
- Microsoft 365 Apps only has OneDrive along with the premium desktop apps for $8.25 per user, per month. Paid annually.
Apart from the apps-only business subscription, the main value here are the Teams, Exchange and Sharepoint services. These apps allow for easy collaboration with your coworkers. Although the home version of Microsoft 365 does include Skype with 60 minutes of landline calls for free.
Can I Still Purchase Microsoft Office?
Yes! Microsoft still offers a one-time purchase of Office. This doesn’t include any of the cloud services. You also only get three applications: Word, Excel and Powerpoint. These are also the classic versions of the apps without the 365 cloud features you get with the subscription model.
These apps can also only be used on a single computer, so you’ll have to pay the one-time price for multiple computers repeatedly. We don’t recommend that most people go down this route, even students. Especially since certain student-oriented laptops can come with a free year or two of Microsoft 365.
What Are the Main Advantages of Microsoft 365?
So why get Microsoft 365 instead of making a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office? Here are the main benefits:
- You always have the latest version of included Microsoft Apps
- You get a large amount of cloud storage
- Unlock full versions of mobile Office apps
- Collaboration and communication with coworkers is much easier
- You can log into any computer and start working where you left off
Very few people work in a bubble these days, which makes this new cloud-based offering the most sensible choice for the majority of users.
Who Should Get Microsoft 365?
If you’re okayK with paying a monthly fee, we feel comfortable saying that just about anyone would be happy with a Microsoft 365 subscription. It’s an especially good value when you consider the family plan, which lets five independent users each load their computer with the entire Office suite and get access to their own terabyte of cloud storage.
The main caveat is that you’re in this relationship for perpetuity. You’ll be paying the fee for as long as you need the service. If you want to have productivity apps on a computer that’s not going to have internet access, then a case can be made for the once-off purchase option. However, for such users we’d recommend saving your money and opting for one of the many free Microsoft Office Alternatives.
