The web site for the Microsoft Office rollout is apparently getting hammered with requests and is not always loading properly:
As you can see from the snapshot, the video on the right did not load when I first tried the web site. But, after a few attempts, it did load.
And, the invitation to participate in the Technical Preview program (the link at the top right of the page) did not work for me until about the 10th try. (It seems to be more consistent at loading correctly now.)
But, I think it is worthwhile to persist beyond these little rough spots in the rollout to get a good description of the program. I love competition, and it is good to see Microsoft entering the online office competition with Google and Zoho.
From the Microsoft press package:
Office 2010 and related products will deliver innovative capabilities and provide new levels of flexibility and choice that will help people:
- Work anywhere with Office Web applications — the lightweight Web browser versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote — that provide access to documents from virtually anywhere and preserve the look and feel of a document regardless of device.
- Collaborate better with co-authoring in Microsoft Word 2010, Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 and Microsoft OneNote 2010, and advanced e-mail management and calendaring capabilities in Microsoft Outlook 2010, including the option for users to ”ignore” unwanted threads.
- Bring ideas to life with video and picture editing, broadcast capability in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, easy document preparation through the new Microsoft Office Backstage view, and new Sparklines in Microsoft Excel 2010 to visualize data and spot trends more quickly.
Microsoft also announced that it is streamlining the number of Office editions from eight to five and enhancing each edition with additional applications and features. The company also announced that Office Web applications will be available in three ways: through Windows Live, where more than 400 million consumers will have access to Office Web applications at no cost; on-premises for all Office volume licensing customers including more than 90 million Office annuity customers; and via Microsoft Online Services, where customers will be able to purchase a subscription as part of a hosted offering.
Note that the free (ad-supported), online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are not yet available, and I have not found a firm release date for them yet. I also do not know if access to them will be available to technical previewers or not.
I’ve signed up for the technical preview. No telling if I will be approved or not, but I hope I will be … I’d really like to see this new offering in action.
Thoughts?