Universal ‘Office 2016’ Apps for Windows 10 Now Available for Technical Preview

Microsoft has today announced that the universal apps for Office for Windows 10 is ready for download for those running Windows 10 Technical Preview build 9926 on their PCs, laptops and tablets. The preview versions of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint are, for now, available for download free of charge through the new Windows Store Beta. According to the company, "You can use most functionality in Word preview for free. After preview, some functionality will require a qualifying Office 365 subscription."

During its January 21 "Next Chapter" consumer event, Microsoft demonstrated the touch-optimized Universal Office apps for Windows 10 - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook, which can be used across all Microsoft devices. Users who have signed up for the Windows 10 Technical Preview can now download the apps for Word, Powerpoint, and Excel from the Windows Store Beta. The universal version of OneNote already comes with the Windows 10 technical preview, while the availability of the apps for Outlook and Calendar is expected to be announced at a later date. Also, the next version of Microsoft's desktop productivity suite will be titled Office 2016, even though it will be released in 2015.

Windows 10, the next upgrade to Microsoft's proprietary operating system, will be available for public release "later in the year" in 2015, according to Microsoft's Terry Myerson during the company's January 21 event. As already made known before, the latest upgrade to Microsoft's proprietary computer operating system aims to address present shortcomings in the user interface as well as to unify the Windows, Windows Phone, and Windows Embedded product families around a common internal core. TheWindows Technical Preview or public beta of Windows 10 was released on October 1, 2014. Testers who opt into the 'Windows Insider' program receive occasional automatic updates to the Windows Technical Preview, allowing Microsoft to collect feedback on changes throughout development of Windows 10. On January 10, Microsoft also introduced a Phone Insider application at the Windows Phone Store which "provides registered Windows Insiders the ability to receive pre-release OS updates on their phone, directly from Microsoft." Those not yet part of the Windows Insider program can still join now.