In addition to the two versions of Office for the Mac, Microsoft will offer an academic edition for $99. Microsoft says the new prices for the Mac version of Office create more consistent pricing across platforms. The prices for the 2011 editions of Office compare to $149 for the Home and Student Edition of Office 2008 and $399 for Office 2008 for Mac Business Edition. The Home and Business edition will cost $199 for a single license and $279 for a multi-pack that allows two installs on two machines. Outlook replaces Entourage as Office’s mail client and is one of the centerpiece changes of the 2011 edition of the productivity suite. Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Business 2011 includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Messenger, along with Outlook for the Mac. It will cost $119 for a single license and $149 for a family pack that allows for installs on three Macs. Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 includes the Word word-processing, PowerPoint presentation, Excel spreadsheet, and Messenger IM applications. Microsoft Office 2011 will come in two editions-a Mac Home and Student version and a Mac Home and Business offering-when it ships at the end of October. When it arrives on retail shelves later this year, the next version of Microsoft Office for the Mac will cost between 20 percent to 50 percent less than Office 2008, according to pricing announced by Microsoft Monday.
