The final version of Office 2013 will be launched in Q1 2013

Sep 14, 2012 12:17 GMT  ·  By

Back in July, Microsoft officially rolled out the first preview version of the brand new Office 2013, thus allowing every interested user to have a look at the refreshed suite.

Well, Microsoft's campaign apparently enjoyed a great success, as millions of people downloaded and tried Office 2013 since mid-July. The company hasn't mentioned exactly how many users actually tested the software, but instead it praised the app and brought some of the features back in the spotlight.

“Since Steve Ballmer announced the release of the new Office Customer Preview on July 16, millions of people have already simplified their lives and changed their lingo to match the new things they’re doing, such as sharing links instead of attachments, moving documents from USB drives into the cloud and using a stylus that can’t run out of ink,” Microsoft said in a press release.

Earlier today, Microsoft also announced that all Windows RT devices would be shipped with a preview version of Office 2013.

What's more, once the Office suite is officially rolled out, all buyers will get the final build via Windows Update at absolutely no cost. The product will be called Office Home & Student 2013 RT and won't be sold as a standalone product.

It will, however, lack some features, including Flash support, but that's not regarded as a problem, as Microsoft considers that only a few users are actually placing Flash videos inside Office documents. The company assures buyers that all features they need the most will be there.

The first Windows RT devices will be released on October 26, while the final Office 2013 is expected to be rolled out sometime in the first quarter of the next year.