Microsoft Office 2019 was officially released to the masses on October 1st, 2018 – here’s everything you need to know.

The first thing everyone needs to know is that it only works on Windows 10 and macOS. If you haven’t upgraded to Windows 10 yet, don’t even think about Office 2019. And while we on the subject. Windows 7 will no longer be supported or secure come January 14, 2020 so it’s definitely time to think bout upgrading to Windows 10.

As for the macOS version: Microsoft will support the three most recent versions of macOS, currently macOS Sierra (10.12), High Sierra (10.13), and Mojave (10.14).

As Microsoft notes: “When a new version of macOS is released, Office 2019 for Mac’s Operating System requirement becomes the then-current three most recent versions at that time: the new version of macOS and the previous two versions. For example, at the time macOS 10.14 is generally available from Apple, Office for Mac will support macOS 10.12, 10.13, and 10.14.”

What is Office 2019?
Microsoft Office 2019 is a standalone, local (not cloud-based, like Office 365) version of the Microsoft Office software suite. It is a “perpetual” release, which is just a fancy way of saying you buy the software once and own it forever, rather than having to pay an annual subscription fee to access it. That said, you only get a license to use it on a single PC, whereas a subscription to Office 365 lets you use it on a PC, a tablet, and a smartphone.

This new release updates and replaces the 2016 versions of Word, Excel, etc. and includes many of the new features that have been rolled out to Office 365 users over the past three years.

Office 2019 includes updates to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Project, Visio, Access, and Publisher as well as a roaming pencil case and ribbon customizations across all Office apps. Microsoft is also bringing focus mode to Word, alongside a new translator, and accessibility improvements. Morph transitions, SVG and 3D model support, play in-click sequence, and 4k video export are all coming to PowerPoint.

Will Office 2019 replace Office 365?
No. In a post announcing the software release, Microsoft makes sure to point out that Office 2019 is a standalone package of its software geared primarily towards private users and businesses who do not have the necessary internet access required to use the cloud-based Office 365. Because of this, many of the features present in the Office 365 versions of these apps are not included in their Office 2019 counterparts, especially cloud-based and collaborative features.

Furthermore, Microsoft makes it clear that while Office 2019 will be receiving regular security fixes, it will not be getting expanded feature updates, while Office 365 users can still look forward to new and updated features through regular monthly updates just as they always have.

https://lifehacker.com/microsoft-office-2019-everything-you-need-to-know-1829346614