Microsoft 365 has become a core part of Microsoft’s business over the last decade or so. This productivity bundle gets you access to all the Microsoft Office apps you’ve always known, like Word or PowerPoint, with frequent feature additions, all for a relatively low monthly price. However, the subscription model isn’t for everyone, and some still prefer buying Office outright with a one-time payment for a perpetual license on their laptop.
Back in March, the software giant announced the preview of Microsoft Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) and made the preview version available for both Windows and Mac the following month. Although it’s aimed at regulated devices that can’t accept feature updates, manufacturing process control devices that don’t support the internet, and other equipment that is locked in time, you can easily download and try Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 Preview on your desktop and Mac.
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What is included in the Microsoft Office 2024 preview program?
The commercial preview of Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 comes with the following software solutions:
- Microsoft Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 for Windows with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, and Access
- Microsoft Office LTSC Standard for Mac 2024 with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote
- Microsoft Project Professional 2024
- Microsoft Visio Professional 2024
What’s new in Microsoft Office 2024?
You are in for a treat if you are upgrading from Office 2021 to Office 2024. Over the years, Microsoft has released many new features to the Microsoft 365 version of Office apps, and many of these features are available to try on the 2024 license, too. Let’s glance over several noteworthy ones.
- User interface enhancements: Office 2024 is still very similar to Office 2021, but you can expect many UI tweaks that are available for Microsoft 365 subscribers. This should include the new default font, Aptos, which is already available in the latest builds (though not as the default setting yet). The UI is more modern and user-friendly.
- AI-powered insights: Office 2024 offers AI-powered suggestions to streamline your workflow. For instance, Excel helps you analyze data and crunch the numbers with ease. These AI tricks will boost your productivity and help you save time and effort.
- Support for five years: You will frequently receive security updates and bug fixes for five years.
As for pricing, the software giant has announced an increase in the prices of Office LTSC Professional Plus, Office LTSC Standard, Office LESC Embedded, and individual apps by up to 10%. As for Office 2024 for consumers (more on that later), the pricing remains the same as before.
System requirements for Microsoft Office 2024
You can install Office LTSC preview on the following operating systems:
- Windows 11 (minimum for ARM-based devices)
- Windows 10 LTSC 2021
- Windows 10 LTSC 2019
- Windows 10
- Windows Server 2022
Devices need to have these baseline specifications:
- 4GB RAM (6GB+ recommended)
- 4GB of available disk space
- Internet connectivity if you are using MAK activation
- 1.6GHz or faster processor
- Minimum screen resolution of 1280 x 768
Install the Microsoft Office 2024 preview right now
As of now, the newest commercial preview of Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus is a 2403 build. We also recommend disabling Windows Security on your PC. Otherwise, you will keep running into errors. You can check our separate guide to disable Microsoft Defender temporarily.
If you don’t turn off antivirus or Windows Defender, it will detect and delete the activator’s file from your PCand after that, you won’t be able to activate Office 2024 on your PC.
Downloading an early preview of software always comes with risks, especially when it’s not yet meant for public use. We recommend using a virtual machine or a secondary PC to avoid losing data or impacting your workflow.
Steps to install the preview:
- Download the Microsoft Office 2024 Preview package from the official website.
- Open the File Explorer menu and right-click on the zip file. Select Extract all and extract files to a relevant location.
- Open the Office 2013-2024 file and find OInstall.exe file. Follow the on-screen instructions.
- The system will open the Office app. Select Microsoft Office 2019-2024 from the top menu. Enable the checkmark beside the ProPlus 2024 Volume and select the apps you want to install on your PC.
- Pick a relevant language and select Install Office.
- Sit back and relax. The system will download and install Office apps on your device.
Once the installation is successful, you can open any Office app and go to File> Account menu. You can check the product name and version from the same menu. You can also manually update Office apps from the Update Options> Update now menu.
One thing to note is that this is an activated version of Office 2024 and you don’t need to use any retail key. However, if you haven’t downloaded an activated version, you’d need to use the KMS activation key. You can find the same information in the company’s official guide.
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What about Office 2024 for consumers?
So far, we have talked about commercial preview of Microsoft Office 2024 aimed at enterprises and businesses, but what about Office 2024 for consumers? The software giant has announced plans to release Office for consumers later this year.
As expected, Microsoft will support it for five years of security updates and bug fixes, and the company doesn’t plan to change the price of these products at release.
Enjoy Office apps without any subscription
Office 2024 has been a highly anticipated release from Microsoft. Apart from a new design, it brings multiple add-ons and AI insights with a marginal price bump (10% for businesses and none for consumers). What are you waiting for? If you don’t wish to get a Microsoft 365 subscription, download the Office 2024 preview and start using the company’s class-leading desktop apps to get some work done. Check our separate guide if you want to use Microsoft Office for free.