Microsoft Office 2019 now available for Windows and Mac

Microsoft Office 2019 is now available for Windows and Mac, bringing updated versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Video, Project, Access, and Publisher. Office 365 subscribers should note that this is not an update to that platform, and is instead a version meant for non-subscribers.

Currently, Office 2019 is being made available to commercial users, and Microsoft says the consumer versions will arrive in the “coming weeks,”. Office 2019 ships with “classic versions” of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. While Windows users will also receive Publisher 2019, Access 2019, Project 2019, and Visio 2019, these apps won't be available on the Mac platform.

Essentially by purchasing Office 2019, you get features already available to Office 365 users. However, these versions will not be updated regularly with new features. Instead, you will only gain security updates and patches, while monthly subscribers will continue to benefit from new features as they are released

What's new in Office 2019

Microsoft has provided an outline of some of the new features available in Office 2019 on the company's Office 2019 FAQ:

Word

• Black theme
• Learning tools (captions and audio descriptions)
• Speech feature (text-to-speech)
• Improved inking functionality
• Accessibility improvements

Excel

• Funnel charts, 2D maps, and timelines
• New Excel functions and connectors
• Ability to publish Excel to PowerBI
• PowerPivot enhancements
• PowerQuery enhancements

PowerPoint

• Zoom capabilities for ordering of slides within presentations
• Morph transition feature
• Ability to insert and manage Icons, SVG, and 3D models
• Improved roaming pencil case

Outlook

• Updated contact cards
• Office 365 Groups1
• @mentions
• Focused inbox
• Travel and delivery summary cards

How much does Office 2019 cost

While Microsoft hasn't revealed the cost of Office 2019, it was previously reported that the company was looking to raise its prices by 10 percent over previous versions. This would put Office 2019 at around $225 or higher. Meanwhile, Office 365 Personal will only cost you $69.99 per year.

While Office 365 may be cheaper for some users, Microsoft plans to commit to releasing future one-time purchase versions of Office for those who prefer it. You can learn more about MS Office 2019 on this detailed guide.